Home > News and Events > 2017 > Students given a glimpse of future

16 August 2017

Building robotic cars is giving St Bridget’s Primary School pupils insight into the future and what it might hold for them.
 

The Balwyn North school has a strong STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) program and building robotic cars last week with the guidance of Robogals – a group of Monash University engineering students – is part of that program.

Principal Michelle Verna said the Robogals group – which despite the name was made up of women and men – aimed to teach pupils about programming, coding and ‘emerging professions’.

‘We don’t really know what professions will be around by the time the children leave school. The STEM program and Robogals teaches them about critical thinking, design and collaboration. Building the robotic car and programming them is an example of that,’ Ms Verna said.

She said Robogals had visited the school once each term.

‘Robogals teaches about engineering, what it does, its purpose and importance. Its main focus is on working with girls and science.’

The school holds tours each Tuesday morning or by appointment for people interested in its curriculum. Phone 9857 6394 to book.

This article was originally published in the Progress Leader 18 July 2017.

Photo: Jemmima and Mackenzie work on robotic programming with the help of Prep teacher Angelica Pangratis. Picture: Steve Tanner

National Science Week 2017 continues until Sunday 20 August.