About Living STEM
Living STEM is an education initiative and program aimed at connecting national STEM curriculum to Indigenous knowledges.
The program recognises and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as Australia’s first scientists; first engineers; and first mathematicians.
Living STEM supports primary and secondary school teachers to embed Indigenous scientific knowledges in classes, through hands-on projects, increasing student engagement and achievement in STEM.
The name 'Living STEM’ was chosen to reflect that Indigenous knowledges shape the future of STEM education as a living network, intertwined with Australian STEM curriculums and knowledge systems.
CSIRO is partnering with Chevron Australia to deliver the program till 2025.
[Upbeat music plays and text appears: Living STEM Murujuga Workshop]
[Interview shot appears with text: Jade Churnside, Ranger]
Jade Churnside: We had all the teachers and principals coming out and we brought them down to Ngajarli.
[Images appear and flick through shots of group of people touring a rock art site]
And gave them the rock art tour, told them about like the different meanings, interpretations behind the rock art.
[Footage and images appear of a person holding plant material and showing this to a group of people]
Gave them a good in-depth talk about the medicinal plants, food plants and just your general use plants.
[Images appear of the tour guide and people talking]
[Interview shot appears with text: Jordan Churnside, Ranger]
Jordan Churnside: There's a very unique and possibly unexplored bit of science in local Aboriginal communities.
[Interview shot appears with text: Dhivahar Sri Ranjan, Teacher]
Dhivahar Sri Ranjan: We're in a region where there's a lot of contribution of Indigenous science, learn about them, you know, appreciate them.
[Footage of Sarah gesturing with hands, an image of Jade pointing towards a tree, images of Jade talking with people at the rock art site]
Jade Churnside: It's, um, it's good to like, to bring the teachers out we get to like show them hands on one on one like what, what goes on and how it relates to the stuff they do in the classroom.
[Footage of someone presenting in a workshop and images of people smiling whilst engaging in science activities]
[Interview shot appears with text: Sarah Hicks, Ranger]
Sarah Hicks: To see the teachers actually participating in something like this today was, pretty exciting because it's like, okay, they actually mean it, they want to learn and they want to be a part of it and that.
[Footage of Sarah speaking with people at the rock art site, the camera cuts to a side view of Sarah speaking then an interview shot of Dhivahar Sri Ranjan]
Dhivahar Sri Ranjan: Ask students, you know, what they do and tailor your learning to what they like. Because if you do that, it shows you care for them, you know, because we're here for the students and it's really about them.
[Images of Dhivahar engaging in science activities, then the camera cuts to an interview shot of Jade]
Jade Churnside: That goes back with the kids too like, oh yeah, they want to learn about our culture we’ll help, we’ll help them understand this and that and like interest in the kid because then they feel like real good about it.
[Interview shot of Sarah appears]
Sarah Hicks: You could definitely see the passion that they want to learn more and they want us to come down to the schools. It's really heartwarming to see that sort of thing.
[Images of grains, grind stones and measuring cups being used in a science activity, and then images of people smiling, presenting and engaging in science activities, the final photo is of Sarah and Jade]
[Interview shot of Jordan appears]
Jordan: Hope this can lead to some, I guess, better education. Pretty firm believer of the next generation, and younger people being the forefront, you know, the future.
[Graphic slide appears with decorative artwork on the right, there is the CSIRO logo, the Chevron logo and text on the left that reads: CSIRO is partnering with Chevron Australia to deliver the Living STEM program, connecting Indigenous knowledges to the classroom. Artwork: 'Waterholes' by Sheryl Hicks]
Work with us
Find out more about Living STEM and how you might get involved.
Our programs and services
The solution
By empowering schools with confidence in the integration of local knowledges to their classrooms, we create sustained and meaningful connections to science, technology, engineering and maths for students. This connection may support regional and remote students to pursue higher education and access STEM jobs of the future as well as empowering them to work locally with their knowledge.
Living STEM aims to ensure local STEM knowledge is sustainably connected to classrooms all year around through Teacher-Community relationships and knowledge sharing, and these outcomes can be confidently applied to all learning levels and interests of students.
Our partners
Chevron Australia are major sponsors of CSIRO’s Living STEM. Chevron Australia’s General Manager Asset Development, Michelle LaPoint, said that the company is proud to partner with CSIRO to deliver the Living STEM program, saying at launch, "We’re proud to partner with a well-respected organisation like CSIRO to deliver this exciting initiative,” she said.
“Living STEM encapsulates the benefits of learning from the world’s oldest continuing living culture and deepening the connection between First Nations' people and school children across Western Australia.”