The 2022 Brilliant Futures STEM camp was recently held on the weekend of 7-8 May, at Runaway Bay Sport Centre. Thankfully, the rain held off as activities were mostly held outdoors, at a variety of locations around the Gold Coast. The annual camp is attended by Year 8 students of the Brilliant Futures Investigative program and is aimed at providing a variety of STEM inquiry experiences. In addition, the camp serves to help students of the Brilliant Futures program develop connections with their peers, who range from over 20 different high schools, and many of whom will be aiming to enrol at QAHS in 2024.
Science inquiry workshops included: Marine biology field data research with Iain Harrison of Jacob's Well Environmental Education Centre, the Solar Boat building workshop with Mark Drover of Numinbah Valley Environmental Education Centre, and the Astronomy Night hosted by local Astronomy Club member Richard Burton. The camp also hosts the introduction to the Poster Presentation project supported by our Year 11 STEM mentors, who serve as mentors to their younger counterparts. The Poster Projects forms the culmination of the Year 8's Brilliant Futures experience and they are presented by those students at their graduation event at QAHS in November. At the end of the camp on Sunday many students commented on the new friends they had made and existing friendships they had strengthened through this program.
Special thanks should go to those staff who assist in the administration, planning and supervision of the camp: Jo Parks, Principal Vanessa Rebgetz, Brett Hillman, and Tony Nicholson, and thanks should also be given to the Year 11 STEM mentors who attended the camp, Ananya Garg, Anastasia Iliadis, Olivia Knoesen, Angela Kwon, Devam Raval and Theo Supeli.