Taking STEM on the Road: The Mini EV Challenge, and the Voice of the Future
While the Hunter Science Festival was the centerpiece of National Science Week 2026, the celebration extended far beyond the Newcastle Museum. Through a combination of hands-on workshops and digital archiving, the Hunter Innovation and Science Hub (HISH) FABLAB, Muswellbrook Council, Singleton council, Careerlinks , Net Zed and AiSTEM worked together to bring science directly to the community.
The Regional Roadshow
To ensure that cutting-edge STEM education reached communities across the region, HISH hit the road, successfully engaging over 210 participants—from primary and high school students to passionate community members.
The roadshow was designed to transition participants from climate anxiety to active problem-solving through mechanical engineering and circular economy initiatives. Key regional highlights included:
The roadshow was designed to transition participants from climate anxiety to active problem-solving through mechanical engineering and circular economy initiatives. Key regional highlights included:
- Celebration of Science at Singleton Public Library: On August 22, the Singleton Science Festival brought the community together for a full day of discovery, featuring interactive STEM activities and access to hands-on STREAM resources. We were there with our solar cars!
- Solar Car Tuning at Muswellbrook: Students engaged in hands-on mechanical engineering, building, testing, and optimizing solar-powered vehicles. We had a race on the day and students were more confident for their visit to Tiges Hill TAFE later in the year for the Careerlinks EV Challenge.
- MakerCon at the Windale Hub Fab Lab: A community networking event where local makers and innovators collaborated on digital fabrication and engineering projects. Student tried the solar cars on a track cut on the FABLABS Trotec laser cutter.
This Inspiring Australia NSW initiative is supported by the Australian Government as part of National Science Week
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