Designs for the $3 million refurbishment of the STEM Centre at Newton Moore Senior High School were unveiled today by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery and Bunbury MLA Don Punch.
The works will see an expanded range of STEM activities for students and a dedicated room for staff collaboration.
Class activities will include coding, designing and building prototypes such as solar cars, model submarines and solar cookers, building drones, water filtration systems and agriculture science inventions.
The collaborative space will also be used for professional learning for staff and to brainstorm STEM ideas and programs as well as to share expertise and resources with other local schools.
The centre will also help develop stronger relationships with local industry, businesses and the community through these groups assisting with and presenting workshops in the centre.
Students will benefit from state-of-the-art equipment such as laser cutters, 3D printers, plasma cutters, soldering equipment, STEM and robotic kits and computing equipment.
Major competitions and events such as the STEM Fair, the Solar Car Challenge, Subs in Schools and Formula1 Car competitions will also take place at the centre.
Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2019 with completion scheduled for April 2020.
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
"Newton Moore Senior High School prides itself on being a Science Specialist school with a strong STEM program.
"When complete, the facilities will give teachers the ability to collaborate and innovate, challenge students and to encourage future innovation and productivity.
"The school's new STEM Centre will be more than just a building; we will be creating a learning environment that will prepare students for the future world of work."
As stated by Bunbury MLA Don Punch:
"More than 75 per cent of jobs in the next 10 years will require STEM skills, so it is vital our local students learn in modern facilities.
"We have huge potential in Bunbury to diversify our economy and explore the opportunities offered by advanced manufacturing so having a STEM Centre like this will really set our young people up well to secure the jobs of the future.
"The achievements of Newton Moore Senior High School in the area of science education over many years gives me great confidence this will be a highly valued facility that will absolutely maximise the benefits it can offer to students."
