Science Active School - Caritas College

Years awarded: 2025

What Makes Caritas College a Science Active School

• SASTA Members
• Participating in the Oliphant Science Awards
• Staff volunteering to judge in the Oliphant Science Awards
• Staff member attendance at the SASTA annual conference.
• Had an article printed in SASTA publications

Hear from Science teacher, Christine Kemp, about what it means to them to be a Science Active School, and some of the science programs that are happening in their school.

What does being a Science Active School mean to your school community? Being named a Science Active School has firstly been a good validation to staff and acknowledgement of our efforts in promoting science to our students both inside and outside of the classroom. Much of what we do requires giving up our own time to provide these opportunities for our students so it is fantastic to be "seen"!

How does your school support the growth and development of its science teachers? Our school leadership is very open to all suggestions and encourages teachers to pursue their own interests. We run lots of break time activities across our school providing opportunities for students to engage in what they enjoy or explore what fascinates them. Science is just one of these - but being a reception to year 12 school, we can really impact our students from a young age and encourage their curiosity as they grow.

Can you share a standout moment or achievement that reflects your school’s passion for science? I entered the Oliphant Science Awards as a student back in the 1990's and due to the enthusiasm of a few students, I looked to see if it still existed a few years ago. I then encouraged a number of students to participate and in our first year of participation we had a student win a prize. Our participation has increased each year. Originally I only encouraged participation from year 5-12 but this year I am encouraging entries across the whole school - it's a little hectic but also rewarding to watch these students exploring areas of science that interest them and being so driven and engaged.

What science programs or initiatives at your school are you most proud of, and why? All of them really, but it all started in 2018 when I asked leadership if we could run activities each day during National Science Week. The response from students was overwhelming and I had to recruit additional teachers and senior students to help run the activities and manage the volume of students. We have continued to run NSW activities each year and have added many other opportunities for students both internally and through programs at universities and SASTA such as the Oliphant Science Awards.

What’s a current project or innovation in your school’s science program that excites you? There is lots to be excited about but this year we are hoping to really grow NSW by running activities over a number of weeks and make it more of a festival/celebration of science so we can really explore some ideas and experiences in depth and allow for more students and teachers to be able to engage with and explore science. We have a great senior student leadership group who are keen to give their time to help create and run these experiences before their schooling concludes.

Do you think your school has what it takes to be a Science Active School? Apply here!