It Takes a Spark STEM Conference

It Takes a Spark STEM Conference Australia’s dedicated STEM events for Educators and their Year 4 to 10 Students. Delivered by students, teachers, universities and industry experts.

A unique conference experience which inspires and engages students, teachers and leaders in STEM/STEAM to think about new possibilities for learning. Founded by engineer, education consultant and author, Dr Adrian Bertolini and event specialist, Rachel Manneke-Jones, the 'It Takes a Spark! STEM Conference' has directly and positively impacted over 6750 educators and students through their attendan

ce. Adrian is also the Founder and CEO of Intuyu Consulting and works with educators and schools to unleash their learning and leadership capabilities. Rachel and Adrian are passionate about providing a space for young people to open up to the world of STEM, to experience and see themselves in others, and to make a difference to their future. The conference is designed to inspire and engage forward thinking students, teachers and leaders in STEM with hands-on workshops, teacher masterclasses, and problem solver design challenges. It all began in 2017 when 170 students and teachers attended the first event. Now you will find 350 to 700 teachers and their Year 4 to 10 students at each location: Tasmania, Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria.

24/08/2026

Secondary schools are invited to apply for first-round scholarship offers by Wednesday 26 August. 🚀

Dark Matter | Cybersecurity | Motorsport | Virtual Reality | Game Design | Space Exploration | Jewellery Design | Zombie Apocalypse and more!

Experience hands-on workshops, explore new ideas and connect with universities, industry and STEM professionals.

A quick note on places: Primary school places are limited as we move towards a waiting list.

🚀Spark Student Scholarship application form
spark-educonferences.com.au/spark-scholarship-application/

🌟About the Spark Student Scholarships
The Spark Student Scholarships are generously supported by our sponsors who are committed to empowering young people from low socio-economic areas, as well as rural and regional areas. The scholarships are to assist students with their registration fees so they can attend along with their teachers. The application form has a few simple questions.

It Takes a Spark! STEM Conference VIC
📅 Date: Thursday, 22 October 2026
⏰Time: 8.45am - 2.45pm
🎫 Early Bird pricing available until 11th September - secure your place early!
📍Location: The Knox School, 220 Burwood Hwy Wantirna Sth VIC 3152
📄Conference Programme now available online

One thing I really love about our Teacher Mini-Masterclasses is that they are designed to be practical.We know teachers ...
21/08/2026

One thing I really love about our Teacher Mini-Masterclasses is that they are designed to be practical.

We know teachers are busy, and professional learning is at its best when you can walk away thinking, I can actually use that.

This year, Western Australian teacher sessions cover AI, future-ready skills, space, sustainability, authentic projects and practical STEM ideas that don't require a huge budget.

Whether you're already doing lots of STEM at your school or you're just starting out, there are some really interesting ideas to explore.

And hopefully, a few that you can take straight back to your classroom or share with your colleagues.

✨It Takes a Spark! Alcoa Kwinana STEM Conference
📍 Frederick Irwin Anglican School
📅 Thursday, 24 September 2026
🎫 spark-educonferences.com.au/registration-24-september-2026-wa



Alcoa Engineers Australia Perth Observatory STEM Punks Synergy Woodside Energy The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia - CMEWA City of Kwinana

20/08/2026

🌟 Another Superstar of STEM is joining us on stage!

We’re excited to welcome Kathryn Laurentis as a keynote speaker at the Western Australia It Takes a Spark! Alcoa Kwinana STEM Conference. I'm pretty sure teachers and students will leave inspired - did someone mention Antartica marathon runner?

Kathryn Laurentis is uncovering the hidden stories of women in engineering history; the inventors and trailblazing graduates who helped shape the modern world but were too often left out of the story. Through her postgrad research, Kathryn is bringing these engineers back into the spotlight and showing how engineering has always been about more than just gears and gadgets; it’s been powered by creativity, courage, and collaboration.

With an early love of making and designing, Kathryn is a Chemical Engineer and Mathematician who has forged a career in natural resources. A born problem solver with a passion for thinking big, Kathryn has been involved in multi-million-dollar energy and mining projects, helped improve operations at sites around the world, and is passionate about developing natural resources responsibly as we move toward a cleaner energy future.

Outside work, Kathryn champions diversity in STEM. She leads a statewide network for women in sustainability, sits on boards for science and arts organisations, and advises museums on initiatives to share the incredible role engineers play in our world. She’s a Fellow of Engineers Australia and an international marathon runner, the coolest of which was in Antarctica.

✨ STEM Punks are heading west! ✨We have loved STEM Punks support over the years in Queensland, and this September we’re ...
20/08/2026

✨ STEM Punks are heading west! ✨

We have loved STEM Punks support over the years in Queensland, and this September we’re excited because they are heading to Western Australia! 🚀

STEM Punks will be getting hands-on throughout the day with sustainability innovation, autonomous vehicles, AI, robotics and smart technologies - helping young people explore how STEM can be used to solve real-world problems. 💡🤖🌏

✨It Takes a Spark! Alcoa Kwinana STEM Conference
📍 Frederick Irwin Anglican School
📅 Thursday, 24 September 2026

STEM Punks



Alcoa Engineers Australia Scitech Perth Observatory Synergy Woodside Energy The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia - CMEWA City of Kwinana

18/08/2026

🚀Registration Now Open

2026 marks our tenth year of running the It Takes a Spark! STEM Conference in Victoria!

We are thrilled to be back at The Knox School. Their continued partnership as the host school reflects the passion, innovation, and commitment to provide a learning space for Victoria's vibrant community of STEM educators, students and organisations.

The conference continues to grow and evolve, bringing together passionate educators, students, industry, and organisations to imagine a better tomorrow, and inspire change in their schools and communities.

✍Book Early / Hold your places
🚀Use the event to inspire students.
🌟Develop STEM in your professional practice.
Programme: spark-educonferences.com.au/victoria-spark-2026/

Thank you to Alcoa Kwinana, Platinum Naming Sponsor of Western Australia's It Takes a Spark! Alcoa Kwinana STEM Conferen...
17/08/2026

Thank you to Alcoa Kwinana, Platinum Naming Sponsor of Western Australia's It Takes a Spark! Alcoa Kwinana STEM Conference 2026.

Strong partnerships between education and industry helps see how classroom learning connects to real-world careers and challenges.

Alcoa's support gives us the opportunity to reach more teachers and Years 4 to 10 students and connect them with STEM professionals, emerging technologies and authentic problem-solving experiences.

We are grateful for their commitment to STEM education in Western Australia.

Alcoa

Also supported by
STEM Punks Perth Observatory City of Kwinana Engineers Australia Synergy
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia - CMEWA Scitech
Woodside Energy

10/08/2026

We’re excited to welcome Dr Helen McFarlane from CSIRO as one of WA's keynote speakers.
An absolute Superstar of STEM, here's a glimpse of Dr Helen's passion and expertise...
The landscapes we see today were shaped by billions of years of geological events. The rocks under your feet hold clues about ancient volcanoes, shifting continents, and huge forces that have changed Earth over time. To really understand our planet, we need to understand these long‑term processes and how they created the land we live on and the resources we use. Most importantly, we need this understanding to find the critical metals and materials needed to meet humanity's greatest challenge, climate change.

We’re excited to welcome Dr Helen McFarlane from CSIRO as one of WA's keynote speakers.An absolute Superstar of STEM, he...
10/08/2026

We’re excited to welcome Dr Helen McFarlane from CSIRO as one of WA's keynote speakers.

An absolute Superstar of STEM, here's a glimpse of Dr Helen's passion and expertise...

The landscapes we see today were shaped by billions of years of geological events. The rocks under your feet hold clues about ancient volcanoes, shifting continents, and huge forces that have changed Earth over time. To really understand our planet, we need to understand these long‑term processes and how they created the land we live on and the resources we use. Most importantly, we need this understanding to find the critical metals and materials needed to meet humanity's greatest challenge, climate change.

Dr Helen McFarlane is a geologist who studies rocks and landscapes across Australia and around the world. She looks at where different rocks appear on the surface and what their shapes look like deep below the ground. She combines information about minerals, rock chemistry, and geophysical data — which shows things like density and magnetism — to spot signs of ancient geological structures and faults that might contain valuable metals that are needed for the energy transition.

Helen earned her PhD in Geology from Monash University in Australia and the University of Toulouse in France. She is the Chair of Geoconferences, an organisation that promotes earth science education. She now leads the Multidimensional Geoscience group at CSIRO’s Discovery Program.

21/07/2026

Queensland - what an amazing day! Over 430 students and teachers from across 40 schools connected with 70+ presenters! Thanks to Grace Lutheran College for hosting and capturing these images.

27/05/2026

🚀Registration Now Open

2026 marks our ninth year of running the It Takes a Spark! Alcoa Kwinana STEM Conference in Western Australia, and the conference continues to grow and evolve.

This year, we are excited to welcome Alcoa Kwinana as our Platinum Naming Sponsor. Their support reflects the passion, innovation, and commitment within WA’s vibrant community of STEM educators and organisations.

At its heart, the conference is about connection, bringing together passionate educators, students, industry, and organisations to imagine, invent, and inspire change in their schools and communities.

✍Book Early / Hold your places
🚀Use the event to inspire students.
🌟Develop STEM in your professional practice.

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Melbourne, VIC

Telephone

+61411270277

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