Do you have an interesting idea for a STEM exploration, or have you already run a STEM project with the children in your service? Would you like recognition for your service’s wonderful work with inquiry-based STEM?
The biennial Little Scientists Early STEM Award recognises and celebrates early childhood services that have successfully implemented inquiry-based learning and child-led STEM exploration. The award is open to all Australian early childhood services who wish to showcase their inquiry-based STEM projects.
This year’s award theme, Quirky Curious Futures, encourages participants to let their imaginations fly, play with quirky ideas and let children’s curiosity run wild, encouraging them to create their own visions of the future. Imagine what transport and cities could look like, imagine life on a different planet or invent useful gadgets.
Once all entries are received, they will be assessed by a jury panel of early childhood and STEM professionals. Each entry will be assessed and measured against the following categories:
Originality
STEM content
Project scope
Child-led focus
Inquiry-based
focus
Of course, there will be great prizes to be won! The Little Scientists Early STEM Award has the following prize categories: 1 National winner and 8 State and Territory winners.
We will celebrate each winning service’s achievement with an award ceremony, attended by a Little Scientists representative who will present the prize package.
So, what can you win? Here’s a sneak peek of some of the fabulous prizes provided by our sponsors.
National Winner prize package
State / Territory Winner prize package
We could give a million reasons why you should enter the Little Scientists Early STEM Award, but here our top five:
You are a STEM rockstar! Let us recognise you for the amazing work you do in your service.
The children in your service love imagining their Quirky Curious Futures – and we want to know all about it!
Prize packages worth over $1500 to be won!
Become a STEM leader and have the opportunity to take home the top prize for your state/territory.
Have the chance for your project to be featured on our website and/or in a future edition of our Early STEM Project Book.
If you have already submitted your final award entry, you do not have to resubmit it.
The Little Scientists Early STEM Award is open to all early childhood services. It is not a requirement of entry to have already participated in the Little Scientists program. We do, however, encourage our existing Little Scientists workshop participants to apply.
You can book a Little Scientists workshop via our booking calendar.
The project that your service decides to showcase can be one your service has already completed or one you are currently working on.
The theme Quirky Curious Futures has been chosen to encourage participants to let their imaginations fly, play with quirky ideas and let children’s curiosity run wild, encouraging them to create their own visions of the future. The sky (or the depth of the ocean) is the limit.
If you need help to spark an idea for a Quirky Curious Futures project, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals would be a great place to start. We believe that these goals provide a global blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for our children and our planet.
Entries will be assessed and judged by a jury panel of early childhood and STEM professionals. Each entry will be measured against the following criteria:
Yes, absolutely! All services that won in 2018 are eligible to enter in this year’s award. However, a project cannot be entered twice. We know that you have all run amazing projects in the past two years or are currently engaged in wonderful projects. So please surprise us with a new Quirky Curious Future project!
You can learn all about our 2018 award winners in our Everyday STEM inquiry in practice book.
If you are having issues accessing or submitting your entry form, please contact us by phone on 02 8080 0065 or send us an email to awards@littlescientists.org.au We are here to help!
Failure to meet all conditions of entry will automatically disqualify an entry.