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Issue 8:

CSIRO Education and Outreach welcomes you to the second term of 2024.

Now well into the school year, we approach some exciting annual STEM education events, starting with the Day of AI next week. This year we have teamed up with CSIRO's Data61 and the National Artificial Intelligence Centre to provide free teaching resources and interactive AI events to mark the occasion. Keen to learn more about AI? One million ‘Introduction to AI’ scholarships have been made available to Australians in a bid to increase the nation’s literacy of AI fundamentals. Read on to learn more.

There is much to look forward to beyond the Day of AI; we have additional professional learning offerings upcoming later in May, and in July a special edition Double Helix NAIDOC Week (7-14 July) issue, as well as CONASTA 2024 - see you there! 

Dive into AI

Day of AI Australia

CSIRO have partnered with Day of AI Australia to help spark students' curiosity about AI and computer science. Together, we support teachers and educators to run Day of AI in their classrooms during term 2. All you need is access to a laptop and an internet connection. The free teaching materials are available now!

Find out more
FREE STUDENT INTERACTIVE EVENTS

Dance with a Digital Human

This webinar event showcases how technology is being applied to sport science to help athletes perform at their best. CSIRO experts show how artificial intelligence and motion capture techniques can transform humans into digital humans. Students can warm up with an AFLW player and learn a dance with ‘Dizzy the Digital Human’. Join us on Wednesday 15 May in one of two sessions for Years 4-6 and Years 7-9.

Register now

Available session times

1 MILLION FREE SCHOLARSHIPS

Introduction to AI course

CSIRO’s National AI Centre and Institute of Applied Technology Digital have partnered to make AI education easily accessible to all Australians via a free online course. The 3-hour, self-paced course will provide a non-technical introduction to AI fundamentals and is designed for people at the beginning their AI literacy journey.

Register Now
FREE LESSON PLAN

Responsible and Ethical AI

CSIRO Education and Outreach and Data 61 have combined to create a lesson plan to explore responsible and ethical AI. Suitable for Years 5 and 6 and free to download, it includes the materials, presentation with presenter notes and curriculum mapping needed to navigate the concept of fairness in AI.

Download now
FREE WEBINAR

AI Resources for Schools webinar

CSER and the Digital Technologies Hub are hosting a 30-minute webinar to share their favourite AI resources for educators in primary and secondary schools. The free event, hosted Wednesday 22 May, 3:30pm - 4:00 pm (ACST), will also announce new freely available resources that connect AI with v9.0 of the Australian Curriculum: Digital Technologies and other subject areas. Suitable for teaches both new and familiar with AI, join in for practical resources and to further upskill in AI and its use in classroom lessons.

Register now

More from Education and Outreach

Congratulations to our Adult Future Shapers

Thank you to everyone who applied for the Adult Future Shaper program at the end of last year. We were floored by the amazing work being done to support young people from underrepresented groups in STEM to build their 21st century skills. Congratulations go to our 2024 Adult Future Shapers: Jen Malone, Elise Thornthwaite, Sharni Silvestri, Ben Jucius and Sabina Nabi! We can't wait to see how the prizes they choose supercharge their skillsets and further help young people in their communities.

Educate to Innovate: Growing the STEM workforce

From Australia’s science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills gap to the lack of student awareness of career opportunities, some of the most pressing challenges facing STEM careers were unpacked at the recent Educate to Innovate: Growing the STEM workforce breakfast. Hosted by CSIRO and supported by Cumberland City Council, this event served as a platform to equip businesses with the tools and knowledge needed to engage with young talent in STEM fields. A key takeaway from our speakers was that collaboration between industry and education not only benefits students, but also has a significant ripple effect, driving Australia's economy, growth, and innovation. Read the blog linked above to discover the key takeaways.

Don’t miss out! Educator professional learning

FREE

Upcoming events

STEM Together’s guest speaker and workshop sessions can help boost student skills and engagement. Attend as many as you like and receive your certificate of completion! STEM Together is powered by CSIRO and BHP Foundation.

Register now

CREST resources for maths teachers

2024 will see the first launch of an Australian made and owned rocket into space. If you are a maths teacher enrolled in Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST), check out our latest resources using the logistical challenges faced by launch companies and satellite manufacturers. The resources are curriculum-aligned and challenge students in the areas of shape, area, and volume using Pythagoras. Not a CREST registered school yet? Join via the link above for access to the CREST suite of STEM inquiry resources.

See you in Melbourne!

CSIRO is a proud sponsor of the Australian Science Teachers Association. This year CONASTA71 will take place in Melbourne on 7-11 July with the theme Perspectives: Science Educators Shaping Tomorrow. Registrations are open; we look forward to connecting with you there.

Celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander STEM with Double Helix

Our next issue of Double Helix magazine explores Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures across science, technology, mathematics and the arts. It’s filled with fun and fascinating stories carefully selected by our Indigenous Guest Editor, We-Anda Currie-Luglio. Plus, there are hands-on activities and puzzles to help celebrate NAIDOC week with your school. Subscribe by 31 May to receive this issue of Double Helix magazine.

Nature book discount

Nature is tree-mendous! CSIRO Publishing rounded up some wonderful books that will make you go wild for the wonders of nature. Whether you're a nature lover, wildlife enthusiast, or botany buff, these books will make your heart bloom. Use the promo code NATURE24 at the checkout when ordering from this catalogue to score a 20% discount and free standard shipping to Australian and New Zealand addresses until 15 May 2024.