Being The Change – Sarah Chapman Providing Opportunities For Young Students In STEM

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) stands as a program designed to connect young, regional girls with local industries, and has made significant strides under the leadership of dedicated local educator, Sarah Chapman.  

Sarah Chapman, a former Ayr State High School student, Townsville Science Teacher, and recipient of the 2013 Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Science Teaching, has been the driving force behind STEM Changemakers, holding the position of Co-Chair of Women in STEM Australia.  

The two-month-long program has been celebrated for the experiences, mentorship, and opportunities it presents to its participants within STEM careers.  

“As a teacher with twenty years of secondary state school experience, I’ve seen countless talented girls in STEM who lacked support at home, or faced too many other life demands,” explained Sarah.

“That’s why six months ago, I decided to be the change I wanted to see in the world and take a year off work to devote my time to changing opportunities for regional girls in STEM; that is where I developed the STEM Changemakers program.”

Within the current workforce, 80% of the fastest-growing occupants require STEM skills, however, only 15 per cent of STEM-qualified jobs are held by women. The program, STEM Changemakers, works to provide girls with tangible experiences with the support of role models to further transform girls’ aspirations, enabling them to perceive a positive future for themselves on a STEM pathway.  

“The girls in the STEM Changemakers program walk away with a reinforced confidence in themselves - they have strengthened communication and networking skills and are able to collaborate with a range of stakeholders in the community,” said Sarah.

A central focus of STEM Changemakers is collaborating with local stakeholders and businesses, one of which being Wilmar Sugar Australia. Wilmar Sugar Australia has presented a real-world industry challenge to the students, involving ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions of the transport of sugarcane to the mills. Nina West, Manager of Design Engineering at Wilmar Sugar Australia, says this challenge not only gave the girls a practical problem to solve but also highlighted the relevance of STEM in addressing global issues.

“There have been amazing ideas resulting from the girls’, some of which we might not have considered without them, and that is exactly what we were hoping for,” said Nina.  

Ayr State High School’s Grade Eight student, Jorja Ahern has been part of STEM Changemakers over the past two months and believes the program has expanded her knowledge and understanding of the diverse career opportunities available.  

“This program has opened up opportunities for my future studies and career path - it has helped me understand the different types of engineering, and what I could achieve as an engineer, and I have found interest in electrical engineering and environmental engineering,” said Jorja.  

Tiana Cameron, fellow Ayr State High School student in Grade Ten, was also part of STEM Changemakers, and developed similar understandings to Jorja, explaining the program provided her with a glimpse into STEM careers.  

“Changemakers has brought me from a girl interested in science to a girl interested in a career in science, and I think that’s my biggest takeaway,” said Tiana.  

On Saturday 22 June, STEM Changemakers culminated, where the girls celebrated their involvement with the program by presenting their STEM solutions to over 200 businesses and supporters. Jorja Jerkic, Mia Formilan, Tiana Cameron, Briella Wassmuth, and Jorja Ahern made their presentations at the Science Precinct in Townsville, and in their audience was special guest, Australian Chief Scientist, Dr Cathy Folley, who has supported the girls and the growth of the STEM Changemakers program.  

Sarah’s inspirational and commendable mission has only just begun, and she has made long-term plans for the future to continue supporting young girls in STEM.

“Long-term, I am aiming to work with regional industries to provide targeted skills training that is flexible and responsive to young people’s needs, rapid technological change, and industry demand to ensure Australia’s STEM skills workforce can be more dynamic and responsive to change and allow our young people to be the leaders in solving future STEM challenges,” said Sarah.  

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Jorja Jerkic, Mia Formilan, Tiana Cameron, Ms Sarah Chapman, Briella Wassmuth, Jorja Ahern, and Mrs Claire Brock at the Final Presentation Day.
Bella Lawry, Tiana Cameron, and Briella Wassmuth.
Jorja Ahern, Mia Formilan and Jorja Jerkic.

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