Celebrating pathways to participation in Agriculture STEM Research

Hands-on science workshops for Victorian school students are shining a spotlight on the wide range of careers in agricultural research.

In celebration of National Science Week (11-19 August), Agriculture Victoria’s Get into AgSTEM program will launch a new workshop exploring on-farm energy generation and cultivation of plants under solar panels.

 Get into AgSTEM is a free curriculum-linked education program delivered by Agriculture Victoria and offered to secondary school students.

Agriculture Victoria Community Education Manager Anna Vietz said the new Energy Ag – Agrivoltaics workshop gives students the chance to use laboratory-scale solar panels and circuitry to generate power.

‘The workshop offers students the opportunity to get hands-on experience while exploring how global climate change is altering climate variables in Victoria and how this can impact farming.’

‘We are looking forward to rolling out this workshop and welcome any interested school teachers to get in touch with us to find out more,’ Anna said.

The Energy Ag – Agrivoltaics workshop was funded through the Agriculture Energy Investment Program and will be delivered to students across the state.

The innovative Get into AgSTEM program opens the doors to Agriculture Victoria’s state-ofthe-art research facilities at AgriBio in Bundoora and the Hamilton, Horsham, Tatura, Mildura and Ellinbank SmartFarms.

Students work to complete practical activities based on current research projects run by scientists at Agriculture Victoria, learning molecular analytical techniques for on-farm efficiency improvements, through to digital data collection for precision agriculture.

 By showcasing research and innovation, Get into AgSTEM links studying STEM at school, with high-tech, cross-disciplinary skills that are relevant to future careers in agriculture.

Teachers interested in the program can visit the Agriculture Victoria website for more information: agriculture.vic.gov.au/get-into-agstem