How can we better engage regional girls in STEM learning?

In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Chapman, founder of STEM Changemakers and a leading advocate for equity in STEM education. With over two decades of experience in secondary teaching, Sarah reflects on the unique challenges faced by teachers and students in rural and remote communities, with a particular focus on how these barriers impact girls.

We explore how initiatives like STEM Changemakers are creating new opportunities for regional girls, and what meaningful inclusion in STEM really looks like.

Sarah Chapman is the founder of STEM Changemakers and the Townsville STEM Hub, initiatives that empower underrepresented regional Australian girls and communities in STEM. With over twenty years’ experience as a secondary science educator and science head of department, she also serves as co‑chair of Women in STEMM Australia and a board member of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Sarah’s work has earned numerous honours, including the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Secondary Schools and a Commonwealth Bank Teaching Award Fellowship.

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How can school leaders make a real difference in the quality of their school’s STEM learning?

Professor Kim Beswick joins us to talk about what strong STEM leadership looks like, and the role principals can play building a strong STEM learning culture in the school community. Kim also highlights the barriers schools often encounter, particularly in rural and disadvantaged communities, the influence of teacher expectations on student outcomes, and shares examples of how effective leadership can lift STEM engagement across a whole school.

Links:

Principals as STEM Leaders (PASL)

PASL case studies

About Professor Kim Beswick

Professor Kim Beswick is a leading Australian education researcher with a focus on mathematics education and equity in schools. She was a secondary school maths teacher for 13 years, working in rural and regional schools. Her research explores the role that school leadership plays in STEM education, and how teachers’ beliefs can shape classroom practice, especially in disadvantaged communities.

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How do we connect what students learn in the classroom with what STEM looks like in the real world?

We explore the CSIRO’s STEM Professionals in Schools program with Martin Jellinek, unpacking how the program helps bridge the gap between classroom teaching and STEM industry practice. We discuss the program’s structure, the flexible supports available to schools, and the powerful role that STEM role models can play in engaging students in STEM pathways. Martin also highlights the rich possibilities that co-designing with industry experts can offer, particularly for teachers working out of field.

We’re then joined by primary school teacher Sarah Todd, who shares her experience bringing STEM professionals into her school and how these partnerships have strengthened her own teaching. We look at the impact of student-led STEM projects, as she tells us about how her students’ bandicoot-monitoring project led to real change in their local community.

Links:

https://www.csiro.au/en/education/Programs/STEM-Professionals-in-Schools-Program

About Martin Jellinek 

Martin Jellinek is an experienced STEM educator and curriculum leader who now works with CSIRO’s STEM Professionals in Schools program. He draws on his extensive background in teaching and STEM leadership to help build meaningful partnerships between Australian educators and industry professionals.

About Sarah Todd

Sarah Todd is a primary school teacher and science specialist from a South Australian public school and a longtime participant in the STEM Professionals in Schools program. She takes a hands-on, inquiry-driven approach to environmental education, with a particular passion for biodiversity projects and connecting students with the natural world. A 2025 SASTA Honour Award recipient and winner of the 2023 SASTA Outstanding Contribution to the Teaching of Science Award, Sarah is recognised for inspiring authentic STEM learning that empowers students to make real change in their local community.

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