Vanessa Lam
18 June 2015: ACT college students met a robot, made slime and dusted for fingerprints during recent visits to the University of Canberra for its information technology (IT) and science experience days.
Year 11 and 12 information and communication technology students from Dickson College and St Clare's College visited campus for the IT at UC day hosted by the Faculty of Education, Science, Technology and Mathematics (ESTEM) on 21 May.
The students toured the University's IT facilities and took part in a number of activities including coding, augmented reality, programing the University's resident robot Ardie and designing a virtual world for a video game.
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L-R: Gungahlin College students Joshua Starkey, Rishi Sharma and Andrea Aquino checking for the presence of blood in a forensic science experiment. Photo: Michelle McAulay
Dickson College student Matthew Bloomfield, who is interested in studying games design, said he enjoyed being able to create the design for the video game and interacting with Ardie.
Matt Bacon from the University's INSPIRE centre, said the day is a great way to inspire students and encourage them to consider a future in IT.
"We are always happy to engage with young people who are interested in IT and to be able to do that in an engaging, challenging and fun way is terrific," he said.
The faculty also hosted a science at UC day on 27 May attended by students from Gungahlin College.
The students visited the forensic, chemistry and biology labs and took part in experiments such as dusting for fingerprints, making soap and slime and testing the density of different liquids with a rainbow density column.
More than 40 students visited the University to experience the IT at UC or science at UC days.
The faculty also recently hosted a science activity day for 170 students from six ACT primary schools held at University of Canberra High School Kaleen. The students from Kaleen Primary School, Maribyrnong Primary School, Giralang Primary School, Macquarie Primary School, Macgregor Primary School and Mount Rogers Primary School took part in various chemical experiments including making slime and filling a balloon with liquid nitrogen at the event held on 5 May.
