The Queensland Virtual STEM
Academy (QVSA) Far North Queensland, hosted by the Tropical North Learning Academy Smithfield State High School
The Queensland Virtual STEM Academy (QVSA) is an exciting initiative of Advancing education: An action plan for Education in Queensland, focused on engaging and challenging the best and brightest students from Years 5 to 9. As a network of schools across the state, the QVSA delivers innovative digital learning opportunities focused on current, real world science, technology, engineering and mathematic challenges and research that enrich and enhance students learning in STEM. Further information can be found here https://qvsa.eq.edu.au/
The Queensland Virtual STEM Academy at Far North Queensland (QVSA@FNQ)
is a unique partnership between the Department of Education (DoE), Tropical North Learning Academy (TNLA) -Smithfield State High School and James Cook University (JCU), with the vision and drive to achieve improvements in education outcomes and workforce participation in Far North Queensland. Smithfield State High School delivers QVSA@FNQ online courses using an innovative, real time, virtual platform. Students connect with others from across Queensland as well as STEM professionals to solve current global STEM problems while developing their 21st century skills. The types of courses offered are:
- Grand Challenges represent ambitious but achievable goals that harness science, technology, and innovation to solve important national or global problems. The key outcome of a Grand Challenge course is to develop connections for students between their understanding and the real-world problems and deepen their understanding of how STEM is used to solve them. Courses culminate with student generating STEM-based solutions to these 21st Century problems.
- Skill Builders focus on developing deep discipline understanding and enhancing skills that are core to navigating and exploring the fields of STEM (for example Scientific Inquiry, computer assisted drawing (CAD).
Global Tropics Future Project
The Global Tropics Future (GTF) project is a partnership between the Department of Education, JCU and Thuringowa SHS in Townsville, with the vision and drive to achieve improvements in education outcomes and workforce participation in Tropical and Far North Queensland. Smithfield SHS works in collaboration with these partners and aims to boost engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics for Years 5 to 9 students. The project enables like-minded students to connect, collaborate and explore their STEM interest and passion through a range of enriching and challenging learning opportunities virtually as well as face to face.
For further information please contact:
Head of Department: Dr Inga Mertens-Walker PhD
Email:ixmer0@eq.edu.au
Phone: (07) 4058 4345