To realise our grand vision for the former boiler station, UNE is drawing on its history of innovation, community engagement and philanthropy. As the process of transforming UNE’s Boilerhouse into a world-class children’s discovery space gathers momentum, there’s one person particularly eager to see...
Christopher Abbott is a philanthropist and founder of the Abbott foundation. His work towards supporting early childhood education in Australia lead to the inception of the Boilerhouse Discovery Space and continues to support its development. Dr Kirsti Abbott is a scientist and science communicator,...
Rebekah Collins is the manager of SparkLab at the Queensland Museum. SparkLab is a hands-on interactive science centre that invites visitors to explore, experiment, and learn through self-guided experiences. In this interview we talk about how Rebekah and her team went about designing SparkLab...
Lorien Parker founded SciencePlay Kids to inspire young children by showing them that science is everywhere and in everything. After beginning her career as a medical research scientist, Lorien decided to change gears and become a small business owner bringing science education experiences to...
Jackie Randles is the NSW Manager of Inspiring Australia, a government backed initiative to create meaningful connections between scientists and society. Often this takes the form of science themed events that invite communities to come along, learn about science, meet a real scientist and...
Dr Dorothy Smith is the head of STEM education at the University of New England. In this interview we talk about the challenges of teaching STEM in the face of student disengagement, and rampant misinformation. We also talk about how effective science education lies...
Naomi Blakey is the Cultural Collections Officer for Tamworth Regional Council. In this interview we talk about the Tamworth Powerstation Museum, a volunteer run, community driven museum that celebrates the history of electricity. Naomi takes us on a tour through the museum’s collections and...
Kathy Stubberfield founded Twisted Science, or the Scientwists as it was known then, back in 2005, doing kids science shows. Fifteen years later Twisted Science has a science centre in Echuca in regional Victoria, and is now expanding its horizons and opening a new...
Alissa Van Soest is a science communicator at the Discovery Science and Technology Centre in Bendigo, Victoria. In this interview Alissa takes us on a tour through the centre and its immersive educational experiences. We talk about the challenges of balancing education and entertainment...
Jared Wilkins is the Senior Manager of National Programs at Questacon, Australia’s National Science and Technology Centre. In this interview we talk about how Questacon’s programs extend far beyond the building itself and include nationwide touring shows and experiences including the Shell Questacon Science...