National Youth Science Forum

12 to 20 January 2024

Last year we were proud to announce that Caitlyn Singleton had been accepted into the National Youth Science Forum (NYSF) Year 12 Program at the University of Queensland, Brisbane. The program is designed to give students a broader understanding of the diverse study and career options available in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and to encourage continued studies in these fields.​ We would like to thank The Rotary Club of Cheltenham for sponsoring Caitlyn’s place in the program. Below is a reflection from Caitlin on her experience.

The NYSF has truly been one of the most amazing experiences I’ve had so far and has really opened my eyes to all the careers within STEM and the potential they hold. My group had the opportunity to visit the Integrated Pathology Learning Centre where we were able to observe preserved human organs and compare healthy ones with diseased ones. We also looked into the anatomy of the infection and how that affected the organ.

We visited Griffith University and specifically looked at their biomedical engineering and rehabilitation lab, as well as their health and pathology centre. With the rehabilitation lab specialising in paralysis and spinal cord treatments, we were able to try their virtual reality and exoskeletons that help people regain movement in their arms and legs. At the pathology and health lab we tested blood samples to determine the blood and type as well as make a hand cream commonly used by pharmacists.

I was given the opportunity to attend lectures by PhD and specialist scientists within their field about an array of topics. My favourites were how fish perceive and see the world, a tour and explanation of the function and purpose of the CERN hadron collider in Switzerland, what happens inside the brain to cause mental illnesses and how psychedelic drugs are being tested as a breakthrough treatment, and an insider of the James Webb telescope including how it works, what they intend to find and the expanding universe.

We went to the Translational Research Institute where they study diabetes and are currently running trials on treatments. We acted as interns for the day and heard from some of the researchers and the work they are doing on treatments. We had a hands-on activity in the lab where we tested samples to determine if a patient does have diabetes and were able to use equipment that the researchers use, which was amazing!

I would highly recommend this program to any student who is interested in STEM no matter their background. 65% of the students were women and 45% came from regional parts of Australia. I have made so many connections with other students not only from Victoria but also other states that I intend to keep in contact with. The NYSF really is an amazing program and I would like to thank Kilbreda and Cheltenham Rotary Club for supporting me through the application process.

If there are any Year 11 students who think this program may be of interest to them, please contact sarah.chuck@kilbreda.vic.edu.au for more information.

Around the Labs

We have not wasted any time getting into the labs here at Kilbreda. Our Year 7 students are getting to know their lab and how to safely conduct practicals. They are pictured below investigating filtration.

Year 8 students are learning about cells and developing skills preparing wet mounts and using microscopes, while Year 9 students are in the process of designing and conducting their own investigations on abiotic factors that affect plant growth. No plants were harmed over the course of this experiment!

Sarah Chuck
Learning Leader: Science