The National Youth Science Forum’s (NYSF) goal has always been to broaden the horizons of upcoming Grade 12 students looking for further education in STEAM fields and, additionally, place into perspective the experiences associated with on-campus living.

Since its inception in 1984, over 15,000 students have participated in the NSYF, and many have gone on to become masters in their field of study. Over 10 days in January, approximately 250 students travel either to the University of Queensland’s Brisbane campus or the Australian National University in Canberra. In Canberra, students have the opportunity to visit Questacon and the Shine Dome, which is at the heart of NSYF and features on their logo. Additionally, students are streamlined into special interest groups depending on their preferred science.

Ify: During my time in the Chemistry group, we had the opportunity to break geodes at Geoscience Australia, view the 1963 Rolls-Royce belonging to Queen Elizabeth at the National Museum Curation Office, and take a thermal selfie at the ANU Bushfire lab.

Emily: As a member of the Biology group, I learned how to conduct an on-site archaeological dig, produce an anatomically correct sketch of a reptile, and conduct forensic DNA profiling.

NYSF provided the opportunity for us to network across all fields of STEAM, from physics and chemistry right down to niche areas such as geoscience and herpetology.

We had panel interviews, Q&A sessions, speed meets and guided activities with a range of experts, allowing us to hear first-hand what it means to have a career in STEAM, and where that might lead. We also had the opportunity to sign up for specialist lectures in fields of particular interest to us.

Emily: I attended the Computational Historical Linguistics lecture, which was a perfect hybrid of science and humanities. It focused on etymology, and how computer programs can trace the history of words and graph connections between language families.

Ify: My favourite moment was “The Great Debate”, which was about the tumultuous history of NASA’s moon missions, and astrophysics, presented in a fun and energising way.

NYSF is a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to encourage STEAM as both a profession and passion in Australia’s youth. They organise many residential and day programs in conjunction with Rotary. The Year 12 Program is open to Grade 11 students going into Grade 12 in January, and we recommend interested students contact their local Rotary club for funding and support with the application. Additionally, students should discuss with their science teachers as they will need to write a letter of reference – thank you Miss Hausler.

It was an informative and engaging week that helped our post-school decisions and opened up many more opportunities for Grade 12 and university.