As a school, establishing partnerships that tap into external resources, support and expertise can enhance learning outcomes by fostering community relationships and increasing opportunities for students. They can support schools to address identified needs and position the school community as partners in learning.
Partnerships can involve many different groups – parents/carers, First Nations elders, tertiary institutions, community organisations or local businesses and industry. At Findon Primary School in Melbourne, Victoria, a partnership with Australia’s national science agency CSIRO has engaged students with the aviation and aerospace industries and even supported the design of its whole-school STEM program.
Aviators in Schools
Findon Primary School’s partnership with CSIRO formed as part of the organisation’s Aviators in Schools program, run in collaboration with Aviation/Aerospace Australia. The program connects teachers with aviation and aerospace professionals around the country to support real-world STEM learning in classrooms and inspire students to consider careers in the industry.
Findon Primary School was paired with local aeronautical engineer, Joelle Chia. One element of the partnership involved allocating time for Chia to speak with students about her career. ‘During these sessions [with students], I shared what I do as an aeronautical engineer, how I started this profession, and some of the challenges and inspiring moments I had throughout my career,’ Chia tells Teacher.
Chia also collaborated with teaching staff on designing hands-on classroom experiments that demonstrate aircraft engineering principles – such as building a lava lamp to explain air densities in flight and blowing a ping-pong ball through a straw to demonstrate the effects of differential pressures.
‘It was an amazing partnership that helped ignite and engage students in our new program,’ classroom teacher Steevi-Anne Flack tells Teacher. ‘It can be hard for students to connect their learning to real-life scenarios or where this interest could take them in the future. Having someone that is working in this field come out and show their passion and what their work life entails really helped spark their thinking in STEM.’
Co-designing a STEM program with industry experts
STEM is a new program for Findon Primary School and last year was the first year it ran across the whole school. A key part of Chia’s contribution through the partnership was co-designing the STEM program alongside school staff.
Chia says this experience was fun and exciting. ‘It was like being given a blank piece of paper to draw or write whatever you want. Initially hesitant and unsure, the kick-off meeting with teachers from Findon Primary School, however, made me feel very much welcome and open to throwing out ideas both ways. With mutual respect, I offered my advice from prior experiences, and they shared about their new curriculum and goals.’
On how the partnership enhanced the development of the school’s STEM program, Flack says it helped them explore new ideas they may not have considered on their own.
‘We worked together to discuss what topics and activities would be most interesting and engaging for students. Through this collaboration, we decided that hands-on experiments would be the best way for students to learn and stay curious about STEM. Joelle then used these ideas to design and deliver a series of lessons for the class that allowed students to explore STEM concepts through practical activities.’
Aviation as a future career pathway for students
Chia was motivated to join the program to help children have a better understanding of what a job in aviation and aerospace actually involves. ‘Growing up, despite having a pure passion towards aviation and aerospace, I had limited exposure to what this industry is really about,’ she tells Teacher. ‘Like most people, I thought working in aviation meant that I had to be a pilot, or that I can only work in airlines.’
Chia shares that there is a vast range of career opportunities in the sector in Australia. Students can undertake a degree in Engineering, obtain TAFE certifications or go through an apprentice pathway. Chia has herself worked in different roles during her career, ranging from supporting commercial aviation, to general aviation that serve a wide range of activities including private charters, aeromedical rescues and agricultural water-making flights.
‘When I came across the Aviators in Schools program, I saw the chance to be empowered with the opportunity to inspire the younger generations. I hope that by sharing my knowledge and experience with them, these children can have a better understanding of what they could grow up to be and work towards their goal.
‘Women continue to be a minority within the aviation and aerospace industry. During my partnership with Findon Primary School, one of my personal intentions was to open up students’ minds, especially girls, to allow them to know that aviation or engineering is not only for the men. Girls and women are also well-suited to pursue a career in this field, despite stereotypical impressions.’
Have you introduced students to the aviation and aerospace industries through your STEM or careers education programs? If not, how could you introduce the field to students? Are there organisations in your local community, or nationally, that you could approach for support?
Think about an upcoming curriculum program or unit of work planned for implementation at your school. Have you considered engaging with external expertise to co-design the teaching and learning?
