Upper Coomera State College was awarded the Peter Doherty Award for School of Excellence in STEM Education in 2017. The STEM Academy provides an academic enrichment program designed to cultivate student's STEM capabilities. Academy classes are available to students in Years 7 to 9. With the Griffith University/ Upper Coomera State College Senior Secondary Academy Program providing university links for students in Years 10 to 12.
Key Objectives:
The STEM Academy provides a pathway for students be challenged, innovative and collaborative citizens. It focusses on the acquisition of 21st Century skills through small group project-based learning. Furthermore, Experienced Senior Teachers and Heads of Department support students as they are extended academically in all core subject areas.
Program Involvement:
Students within the STEM Academy participate in tailored elective subjects to develop key attributes. Examples of such subjects include:
STEM Innovation and Creation – project-based learning, problem-solving and collaboration;
STEM Engineering – innovation, seeing and making new links, and teamwork;
Digital Technology – critical and creative thinking, communication and
ICT skills;
Robotics – being productive users of technology, imagination and initiative.
Academy students are enrolled in the compulsory STEM Innovation and Creation subject and are expected to choose STEM electives to further
develop their 21st Century Skills.
Innovative & Success Driven Futures
As highlighted in a study conducted by the Australian Council of Deans of Science, STEM skills are necessary for success in 95% of employment sectors including government, business, law, education and health.
Employees have further cited that STEM graduates have exemplary skills in numeracy, analysis and problem solving. Furthermore, as technology transforms much of the economy, from manufacturing and retail, to law and banking, STEM graduates will continue to be in demand in a range of sectors (West, 2017).
The UCSC STEM Academy, aspires to provide a pathway which provides students with a significant advantage over their peers upon graduation.
Committed to Learning
The UCSC STEM Academy focusses on developing STEM Capabilities in alignment with key 21st Century Skills. Such capabilities include:
Skills: research, learning and enquiry; problem solving; technical skills including observation, experimentation and quantitative skills; presentation and other work practices.
Ways of thinking: analytical, logical, critical thinking systematic, structured; questioning, evaluative, independence, reasoning, sceptical; objective, evidence-based, rational; open-minded; innovative, creative, lateral.
Knowledge: scientific method, science as a process; STEM subject knowledge; foundational STEM knowledge and vocabulary.
As the program is futures orientated, the curriculum across all key subject areas is extended to provide a rigorous and challenging pathway.
How to apply:
- Before applying scan and save the necessary supporting documentation under the following file names:
- Latest NAPLAN results: NameNAPLAN
- Latest Report Card: NameReportCard
- Teacher Referee Statement: NameRefereeStatement
- Copy of any applicable awards: NameAward
- Select the academy you wish to apply for be taken to our interactive forms.
- Follow the form, only filling out the sections that are relevant to the Signature Program(s) you are applying for - STEM Academy Form
- Follow the application instructions carefully, making sure you have your important application documents ready - Enrolment Process and documents
- Email the relevant Signature Program/s the important application documents before submitting the online form EnrolmentEnquiries@uppercoomerasc.eq.edu.au
Applications close 16th August 2024.
Applications submitted after the closing date will still be considered and students will go on a wait list.
Scholarships:
Upper Coomera State College offers scholarships to students who exemplify initiative, drive and success in Academics, Sport, Creative Arts and STEM.
Scholarships are awarded to those students already successful in their application and who are achieving well above the standard for their year
level in academics, behaviour and effort.
Scholarships are offered in the following Signature Programs:
STEM Academy;
Sport Academy;
Creative Arts Academy.
Scholarships are available in amounts of $100, $200, or $300 to support your child's educational journey in our Signature Programs.
At the Principals discretion, scholarships may also be awarded to UCSC students who achieve outstanding results during a full calendar year.
** An annual fee in addition to the school resource scheme fee is payable upon acceptance into a program and each subsequent year that the student is part of a program. The fee for 2024 is $100.00 per program (the Sports Excellence - Future Stars Program has a separate fee structure - see college website for details). Fees must be paid prior to the commencement of the school year and is non-refundable. If the fees are not paid by the due date this will be taken to indicate the student no longer wishes to participate in the program. Should the student not maintain the standards of the program their participation in the program will be reviewed and entrance fees forfeited.
Contact details
Bradley Crichton
Head of Department, STEM
Email: bjcri0@eq.edu.au