New online award set to make science sexy

Science is set to become one of the hottest subjects on the timetable for students in Years Nine and 10, following the launch of the inaugural Science for Growth Awards. The awards are being piloted in New South Wales and Queensland before a national launch in 2013.

An initiative of the Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE), the awards are sponsored by Dow AgroSciences as part of their commitment to attracting young people into careers in agricultural science.

“Science has lost its sexiness as a subject, with figures released late last year by the Australian Academy of Science showing a substantial decline in the number of students taking on science as a subject for their Higher School Certificate,” said Dr Matt Cahill, Dow AgroSciences Research and Development Leader, Australia and New Zealand.

“20 years ago, nine out of 10 students in Year 12 studied science. This has fallen to about 50% today, which is quite concerning when you consider that the agricultural science industry is currently facing a critical skills shortage. To reverse this trend and ensure we have the skills to support the future of our food and fibre industry, we need to engage young people and promote science as a viable and exciting option, both as a high school subject and a career.”

Anna Paice, PICSE’s Science for Growth Awards Coordinator, said the awards follow on from a number of initiatives to promote science to high school students.

“Our Science Investigation Awards, which are open to students in Years Nine and 10 in schools near our PICSE Activity Centres, have already started to uncover a pool of future scientists. To really make a difference, long-term, we needed to broaden the awards to enable students hiding out in labs right across the country to strut their scientific stuff,” she said.

The awards, which are hosted entirely online, makes this expansion possible. Students are encouraged to pick any scientific topic that interests them, pose a hypothesis, carry out the necessary experiments and answer their own question using scientific methodology. Students then present their findings online as a single PowerPoint poster which is judged by scientists and industry representatives.

“Our Science Investigation Awards have uncovered some really innovative young minds and by taking this model and opening it up to more students we expect the Science for Growth Awards to deliver some really exciting stuff,” said Paice.

Investigations conducted as part of PICSE’s current science awards program have ranged from an assessment of the common household substances that are most effective in repelling ants to the impact of coloured light on the growth of wheat plants.

“To make the awards even more accessible, students can complete their Science for Growth Awards entry either at home or in the classroom. The investigation must be endorsed by a teacher, though, and entered via a valid school email address to ensure authenticity,” said Paice.

To assist students in their investigations, an online support forum has been established and students will have online contact with a science teacher as well as other students undertaking an investigation.

In assessing the winners, the judges will look at a set of standard criteria including the use of the scientific method within the report, the standard and relevance of the visual presentation and the effectiveness of the written communication, using text, graphics and summaries of student reports.

The winning students in each state will receive a cash prize, with best overall project winning $500. There will also be a teacher prize awarded for commitment to student excellence. The winning teacher will receive free registration, accommodation and travel expenses to the annual Australian Science Teachers’ Conference (CONASTA), to be held in Canberra from 8-11 July.

Registrations for the awards are currently open. Students must submit their entries by 5 pm Sunday 17 June. Further details are available at: www.scienceforgrowthawards.com.au.