Ballarat Tech School

60 students. 14 schools. One massive launch. The 2026 Boys in STEM program has arrived.

Last week Ballarat Tech School threw open its doors to a brand new cohort, and from the moment they walked in, the energy was unmistakable. Day one was all about getting stuck in — activities designed to break the ice, get the boys thinking, and start building the connections that will carry them through the year. By the end of the day it was hard to believe these students had only just met.
And then the families arrived.

The Day One Evening Welcome Event brought parents, siblings and supporters into the Tech School to see exactly what this program is about. VR headsets, drone flying, and a room buzzing with conversation — including an introduction to the Ballarat Hackerspace, a community-owned space where curious minds come to learn and build with cutting edge technology. It set the tone perfectly.

Day two? We took it to Federation University's Mt Helen Campus.
Out at the university, the boys went hands-on with two of the most exciting drone operators in the business — Victorian Unmanned Aerial Systems and the Australian Defence Force Drone Team. Drone racing, wind turbine inspections, and real industry applications came thick and fast. And for those who thought drones only meant aircraft — think again. We heard all about boat and submarine drones too. Minds. Blown.

This is what Boys in STEM is built on — real partners, real technology, real experience. We are proud of every single student who walked through our doors last week, and we are fired up for what comes next.

Watch this space.

Federation University Australia Victorian UAS Ballarat Hackerspace Australian Army Drone Racing Team

What an incredible two days to kick off our 2026 Girls in STEM program!

Last week we were thrilled to welcome 60 students from 14 schools across Ballarat and surrounding regions as our newest cohort — and what a way to begin!

Day one brought the girls together at Ballarat Tech School for a series of activities designed to build connections, explore the space, and set the tone for an exciting year ahead. Friendships were formed, curiosity was sparked, and the energy in the room was electric.

Day two took things to another level entirely. Students headed out to Federation University's Mt Helen campus to fly drones in races, conduct wind turbine inspections, and work alongside two extraordinary industry partners — Victorian Unmanned Aerial Systems and the Australian Defence Force Drone Team. Watching these young women take the controls and experience firsthand how drones are used in real industry settings was wonderful.

We are incredibly proud to have the support of industry partners who bring their real-world expertise directly to our students — it is exactly the kind of experience that makes this program so special.

The two days wrapped up with an family Welcome Event at the Tech School, where students brought their families along to explore the Tech School, try their hand at VR and drone flying, and discover what the year ahead holds. We were also delighted to introduce families to the Ballarat Hackerspace — a wonderful community-owned space where anyone can come to learn, create and build using the latest technology.

To our 60 new Girls in STEM students — welcome. We cannot wait for the year ahead.

Federation University Australia Victorian UAS Ballarat Hackerspace Australian Army Drone Racing Team

"Wednesday, March 11th, marked the first-ever Girls in STEM and Boys in STEM (+ STEM Academy) Alumni Event. Activity of the Night: Meet an Astronaut! Yeah, I know — sounds casual, right? It was the most once-in-a-lifetime experience I’ve ever had! The astronaut in question was Dr Jeanette Epps, an aerospace engineer and a member of the SpaceX Crew-8 mission aboard the Dragon capsule. She spent 233 days in space aboard the International Space Station and is also an advocate for education, innovation, and diversity in STEM.

Jeanette shared her journey to becoming an astronaut, including the training required and the missions she has been part of. At the very start of her presentation, she explained that when we looked at the pictures she included, she wanted us to imagine ourselves in her position because, as her mother would say, “You can do anything you put your mind to.” Incredibly inspirational! Some standout moments from the presentation (according to the Student Leaders present) included her living underwater for nine days as part of her training, the different companies she has worked for — including Ford Motor Company and the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) — and the many people from different countries and cultures she met through her training and her flight to the International Space Station. There was so much amazing content that I (and many others) wished there had been more time to listen and ask questions."

- Abi Fraser, Girls in STEM Student Leader

Recently, we welcomed Ballarat's young social innovators through our doors for Crazy Ideas College's two-day Social Innovators Program. Once again, we were left seriously impressed.

Students from Ballarat High School and St Patrick's College spent two days choosing real community issues they cared about, forming teams, building prototypes, designing experiments, and pitching their ideas to a panel of 14 community partners.

This year, they also got hands-on with our technology to transform their ideas into something they could hold, show, and pitch.

Our staff guided students through two fun and unqiue experiences:
- Laser cutting
- Building a website from scratch using AI vibe coding

By Day 2, those prototypes and websites were backing up bold, confident pitches to a room full of community partners ready to help make them a reality.

We're proud to have co-sponsored this year's program alongside Integra and Ballarat Isuzu, and grateful to Crazy Ideas College for continuing to build something so special for young people in our region.

Isuzu UTE Ballarat Integra St Patrick's College, Ballarat Ballarat High School

BTS is excited to welcome and introduce our newest staff member, Cathy Milner!

Cathy grew up in Ballarat and is an alumi of Ballarat High School, Federation TAFE and ACU! Beginning her working life in hospitality, she shifted to a career in healthcare in 2010, working as a registered nurse before moving into nursing education. After completing a Master’s Degree in Teaching, she has shifted her focus to inspiring young people through STEM learning.

Cathy is passionate about making STEM feel relevant, relatable and a little less mysterious, especially for students who might not see themselves as “STEM people” just yet. Blending creativity, art, and hands-on exploration, she loves showing learners how following a single idea can lead down fascinating tangents.

Cathy brings this curiosity driven, imaginative approach to her work at the Ballarat Tech School, championing the message that “STEM is for everyone, and it’s seriously cool.“

Committee for Ballarat is delighted to announce this exclusive member event with keynote speaker Jeanette Epps!

Jeanette is a NASA astronaut, aerospace engineer, and advocate for education, innovation, and diversity in STEM.

Members will have received their exclusive booking link via email. If you have any queries, please contact us at [email protected]

We look forward to joining with our members for this inspirational evening.

Thanks to our Event Partners, Ballarat Tech School and CountPro

Celebrating the first ever Koori Motion Lab: Returning Strong

Last week, we proudly hosted the Koori Motion Lab for the very first time – an event that brought together mob, creativity, and cutting-edge technology.

Students explored the intersection of culture and technology, starting with a Welcome to Country led by Shannen Mennen, followed by a Yarning Circle that set the tone for connection and storytelling.

From learning about Bunjil and the history of the boomerang with Uncle Peter Lovett, to designing and engraving their own boomerangs using laser cutters and X-Tool technology, the energy was amazing. We even tested the boomerangs on the oval and added some fun with VR, drones, and podcasting.

This event was all about blending tradition with innovation—and the feedback from students was inspiring. Huge thanks to Shannen, Uncle Peter, our cultural leaders, and the Ballarat Tech School team for making this inaugural event unforgettable.

We can’t wait to do it again!

Peter Doherty Science Awards Presentation Evening

On the 27th of November, we celebrated the incredible scientific investigations of four finalist teams at the Peter Doherty Science Awards presentation evening. Each group shared the story of their investigation - the questions they asked, the methods they developed, and what they discovered along the way.

Our students reminded us that real science isn't always about getting the "right" answer - it's about asking good questions, being honest about what your results tell you, and recognising that one question often leads to the next. Unexpected results don't weaken an investigation, they add depth to it.

Congratulations to our 2025 award winners:

Overall Winners: Ally Baker, Lucy Coulter & Olivia Papageorgiou from Phoenix P-12 College with their investigation "Lost in the scroll: How does scrolling affect your sense of time?" Their work revealed we're not all the same - some people responded one way, others completely differently - raising fascinating new questions about human perception.
Phoenix P-12 Community College

Highly Commended Award: Marian College for "Does the angle of the wind force affect how much energy the wind turbine produces?"
Marian College Ararat

Communication Award: Phoenix P-12 College for "Which is dirtier: your phone or your toilet?"
Phoenix P-12 Community College

A huge thank you to all the students who submitted their investigations and to the parents, teachers, and carers who supported these young scientists. Special thanks to our guest speaker, PhD candidate Tabitha Byron, who shared her inspiring journey from student to researcher.

We're grateful to our expert judging panel - Dr Miku Kuba (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute), Dr Sharron Olsen (Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute), Dr Jason Kelly (Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute), and Michael Poulton (Committee for Ballarat) - for their time and expertise.
WEHI - Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute
Committee for Ballarat
Collins Booksellers Ballarat on Lydiard
Westlab
Murdoch Children's Research Institute - MCRI

Thank you to the Committee for Ballarat for partnering with us once again, and to our sponsors Collins Booksellers and Westlab for their generous support.

Here's to curiosity, discovery, and the courage to explore the unknown! See you in 2026!

Good Shepherd College Hamilton