Scitech’s School Access Program gives students essential science experiences

A trip to Scitech allowed Year 2 students from Midvale Primary School to immerse themselves in engaging and interactive science experiences thanks to Scitech’s School Access Program and METRONET. 

The School Access Program provides selected Perth metro primary schools with support towards bus transportation and free entry to Scitech, giving students the opportunity to take part in a Scitech excursion who may not otherwise have access due to financial and transport barriers. 

Through engaging with our hands-on exhibits, one of our full-dome planetariums shows, a live science show and interacting with our expert science communicators, students have an immersive and tangible experience of science not possible in the classroom. 

More than just a fun day out, a Scitech excursion gets students to be active participants in their science learning, showing them the connection between what they learn at school and its application in the real world. We prompt students to be curious and ask questions, so they leave the day with a sense of excitement and enthusiasm to continue their discovery back at home and school. Memories from a Scitech excursion give students positive associations with STEM topics that can lead to them retaining what they learnt and a developing an ongoing interest in science long after their visit.   

Midvale Primary School along with Moorditj Noongar Community College, Clayton View Primary School and Gwynne Park Primary School were recently selected for the School Access Program thanks to support from METRONET.

“I was excited to take this opportunity for a school excursion to Scitech because as a teacher it was important to me that the children had fun but also realise that science is amazing,” Midvale Primary School Science Teacher Sancia White said. “We are a low socio-economic area and many of the children had never been to Scitech before. Especially for Year 2 students, it’s so important to engage them in science at a young age and they all said how much they had loved the day and how fun science can be. It can be difficult to provide these kinds of engagements in the classroom so for our school to be able to access this was truly outstanding.”

“Engaging in science and technology subjects is essential for students to develop their STEM skills and literacy which are becoming a key part of any occupation, not to mention many aspects of daily life,” Scitech CEO John Chappell said. “We are grateful to our partner Metronet for their support of the School Access Program allowing us to provide these experiences to students.”

The School Access Program is part of Scitech’s commitment to providing opportunities for those with barriers to access science and technology engagement and learning experiences.