Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST)

[Music plays and a split circle appears and photos flash through of different CSIRO activities in either half of the circle and then the circle morphs into the CSIRO logo]

[Image changes to show three photos showing students at work, two teachers smiling at the camera, and two students at work and text appears above: Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) Teachers and Mentors]

[Image changes to show Ben Stein talking to the camera and text appears: Ben Stein, Assistant Principal, Curriculum 7 – 10 Daramalan College]

Ben Stein: Our schools have a long association with the CREST programme and we maintain that by having all of our science students undertake a project each year

[Images move through of Ben talking to a female student, looking at a laptop with the student, and then a digital display on the laptop screen]

and many of them choose to or we encourage them to be involved in CREST as part of that process.

[Image changes to show Colin Price talking to the camera and text appears: Colin Price, Science Teacher, Daramalan College]

Colin Price: Every student in Year 7 to Year 10 does the science investigation, and if they do a really good one they’ll get a bronze CREST.

[Images move through of a close view of a hand moving the dials on some equipment, two female students looking at a vibrating tower type structure, and a close view of the vibrating structure]

Then voluntarily, the really keen science students will then sort out a silver CREST with me usually in Year 9.

[Image changes to show a close view of a female student’s face looking at the structure]

And if they’re really keen and they want to be extended even further then I’ll put them on to a gold CREST by Year 10.

[Images move through of the base of the tower structure, the two female students working on the tower structure experiment, and one of the female students looking up at the structure]

Paul Mitchell: The CREST programme is so beneficial to students, number one, I think, because of its authenticity. It’s real research. The students know it’s not pretend research.

[Images move through of two female students walking through the school grounds]

The level of rigor in the programme is really important because we’re not setting a ceiling on the expectations we’re placing on our students. We’re really just handing them the keys to the castle and letting them go for it.

[Image changes to show Paul Mitchell talking to the camera and text appears: Paul Mitchell, Head of Department – Science and Enrichment, Queensland Academies Health Sciences]

And then the relationship that we enjoy with the students is another wonderful thing in the process

[Images move through of the two female students working on the tower structure again, a close view of a hand operating a Low Voltage Power Supply machine, and a male working with the machine]

because it takes us away from being the expert, and the knower of all truths, and we’re now in the passenger seat with the student.

[Image changes to show a close view of a drone on a weighing scale and then the image changes to show Paul talking to the camera again]

And you reach this reversal of roles where they’re actually guiding us through their research. It’s, it’s wonderful.

[Image changes to show a profile and then facing view of Vanessa Rebgetz talking to the camera, and then images move through of various students working together, and text appears: Vanessa Rebgetz, Principal, Queensland Academies Health Sciences]

Vanessa Rebgetz: One of the key points that they really grab hold to is that this is an enrichment of course curriculum work.

[Images continue to move through of students at work, and then the image changes to show a profile and then facing view of Sophie Olivier talking to the camera, and text appears: Sophie Olivier, Biology and French Teacher, Queensland Academies Health Sciences]

Sophie Olivier: The CREST award that allows a student to take ownership of the skills that they are learning in class.

[Image changes to show a profile and then facing view of Sophie Olivier talking to the camera, and text appears: Sophie Olivier, Biology and French Teacher, Queensland Academies Health Sciences]

It’s not just textbook and being able to give back the content but more like having your first foot into the research work.

[Image changes to show Ben talking to the camera]

Ben Stein: I think for our students it gives them an insight into what it means to be a scientist, what a career in science could look like.

[Images move through of Prof Ulrike Mathesius walking down a corridor with a student, the student looking through a microscope while Ulrike observes, a plant in a petri dish, and Ben talking]

It gives them connections in the field and also exposes them to things they may not have thought about before in terms of how the world works, or how problems are solved, or technologies that they’re not able to have access to just through their normal classroom environment.

[Image changes to show Paul talking to the camera]

Paul Mitchell: I think the CREST programme affects the students’ interest in STEM in a number of ways.

[Images move through of a close view of a fence type model structure, wires being placed into a tray, a female student looking at the structure, and a close view of her hand adjusting something]

I think firstly at the ground roots level it anchors what they’ve done in class, it provides relevance, and for the first time they think, “OK, I know why I’m doing it now. I’m doing it for this wider purpose”.

[Image changes to show Colin talking to the camera]

Colin Price: The really big leap is from silver CREST to gold CREST.

[Images move through to show pages being turned in a notebook, a female student looking down, Ulrike and a student laughing together, and Colin talking to the camera]

And with gold CREST, I’ll actually find a mentor, usually at ANU, sometimes at University of Canberra who suits that particular topic and the interests of that student.

[Image changes to show Professor Ulrike Mathesius talking to the camera, and text appears: Professor Ulrike Mathesius, Head of Division, Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, Australian National University]

Professor Ulrike Mathesius: It’s a two-way street,

[Images move through of a petri dish being placed in a rack, a petri dish being place on top of another petri dish, and then Ulrike talking to the camera]

providing some opportunity but also then seeing what the students make of it, and discussing that in a wider context.

[Image changes to show Paul talking to the camera, and then images move through of Ulrike watching a female student looking through a microscope, and a hand holding a petri dish with a plant inside]

Paul Mitchell: We’ve been incredibly lucky to develop a partnership through the CSIRO STEM Professionals in Schools Initiative.

[Image changes to show Paul talking to the camera]

And they have connected us with some experts at Griffith University.

[Images move through of a facing and then profile view of Vanessa talking, then purple liquid being swirled in a conical flask, a male student looking down, and the student working in the lab]

Vanessa Rebgetz: Over time we have ensured that we have the mentor capability with our local university and with industry to have that expert mentor knowledge with the students.

[Images move through of a close view of notebook pages, a female looking down, and a female typing on a laptop keyboard]

Assoc. Professor Niru Nirthanan: We have the Year 11 and 12 students who undertake their research projects in a range of different contexts.

[Image changes to show Assoc. Professor Niru Nirthanan talking to the camera and text appears: Assoc. Professor Niru Nirthanan, Deputy Head of School (Learning and Teachings), School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, Griffith University]

It could be their curriculum, or the expanded curriculum like the extended effort project.

[Image changes to show a profile view of Niru talking, and then the image changes to show a male student at work in a lab]

But many of them do bring in the gold CREST or silver CREST awards.

[Image changes to show Ulrike talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show a plant in a petri dish]

Professor Ulrike Mathesius: They’ve got full access to all the tools that we’ve got available.

[Images move through of a profile view of a female student looking down, Ulrike helping the female student work, and a close view of Ulrike and the female student]

So, they, they, they do the same as what my PhD students would be doing except that they’ll be closely supervised.

[Images move through of Colin talking to the camera, and then different views of a male student at work in a lab]

Colin Price: Well, I can see the long term relationship already because my first gold CRESTs which were from 2014 are now completing their science degrees at ANU.

[Image changes to show Colin talking to the camera, and then the camera zooms in on a close view of Colin talking]

And so, I’ve even got gold CREST students from 2014, 2015 who have now come back and volunteered as mentors for my current generation.

[Image changes to show Ulrike talking to the camera, and the camera zooms in on Ulrike talking]

Professor Ulrike Mathesius: To me it’s, it’s giving back something that I would have liked to get as a student. If I was a student and had the opportunity I would love to do this.

[Image changes to show a facing and then profile view of Vanessa talking to the camera, and text appears: Entry into the BHP Foundation Science and Engineering Awards is via STA competitions]

Vanessa Rebgetz: The CREST programme is a springboard to other national awards

[Image changes to show a close view of a male student working in a lab]

and it’s also been a springboard particularly for students who are undertaking water quality analysis.

[Image changes to show a close view of brown coloured granules being placed into a cylindrical flask]

They may be selected for the Australian Junior Stockholm Water Prize.

[Image changes to show Vanessa talking to the camera]

And some years ago we did have a student who was successful in being selected as the national winner to go to Sweden and present their research.

[Image changes to show Paul talking to the camera, and the camera zooms in, and then out on Paul talking]

Paul Mitchell: We celebrate the success of the students with the CREST programme every opportunity we get but the focus is really on the student, and the student themselves are the only ones who can really appreciate the scope of achievement.

[Music plays and the image changes to show the CSIRO logo and text on a white screen: CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency]