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The Little Scientists Early STEM Education Awards are the only awards in Australia dedicated to STEM excellence in early childhood education. The awards proudly recognise the educators and teachers of children 0-8 years who champion Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) education in their setting.

Held every two years, the Little Scientists Early STEM Education Awards were open 1 March to 31 May 2026.

Category 1. Early learning settings and early primary classrooms can nominate themselves by submitting an inquiry-based STEM project co-developed with their children.

Category 2. (Peer-nominated) Individual educators and teachers working with children 0-8 years can be nominated by their peers for championing early STEM education in their setting.

The process of nominating provides an invaluable professional development and team-building experience and is an opportunity to recognise your team or colleague’s commitment to STEM on a national scale.

Winners of the awards will access:

Significant promotional opportunities, which includes being celebrated at an in-person award presentation.
National recognition through an Australian Government Department of Education-funded initiative.
Over $33,900 worth of high-quality prizes!

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Nominations closed 31 May 2026

An independent judging panel is assessing the nominations. Winners will be announced in the lead-up to National Science Week 2026.

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Nomination Categories

CATEGORY 1.
Excellence in Early
STEM Education Award

Who can nominate?

This is a self-nominated award. Early learning services, prechools, family daycares, OSHC, and early primary classrooms can nominate themselves.

Winners

1 overall National Winner
7 State and Territory Winners

What’s required?

To nominate, a service will co-develop and document an inquiry-based STEM project with their children following Little Scientists’ project inquiry cycle and project guide. The topic of the project can be anything, so long as the idea is sparked by the interests of the children. The project submitted can be undertaken anytime between 1 January 2025 and 31 May 2026.

Before you start, have the relevant educators undertaken sufficient STEM professional development? To support you, our recorded Online Workshop: Inquiry-Based STEM Projects will guide educators to co-develop and document a high-quality STEM project with their children.

CATEGORY 2.
Outstanding Early STEM
Champion Award

Who can nominate?

Do you know a passionate early STEM champion? Individual educators and teachers of children 0-8 years can be nominated by a colleague or manager.

Winners

1 overall National Winner
7 State and Territory Winners

What’s required?

You can nominate a current or former colleague by completing a peer-nomination form that asks you to describe and detail their passion and commitment to inquiry-based STEM education.

The nominated educator can be at any career stage and hold any qualification within the ECEC or OSHC sectors. Read the full eligibility criteria and guidance.

A peer-nomination will be done best by a manager, colleague, or team with rich, first-hand professional insight into this person. You can ask a colleague to nominate you too!

Our Incredible Prize Sponsors

Prizes for the Winners

We are so grateful for our incredible Awards sponsors who have donated the following prizes for the early learning services and classrooms named as our National and State and Territory Winners.

Prizes for the National Winner (worth over $8,300!)

Prizes for each State & Territory Winner (worth over $1,400)

Mana 12-month subscription to the AI-aide Centre Plan (worth approx. $2,808)
WaterUps $1,500 product credit
Education Technology Specialists Bee-Bot Rechargeable Swarm & Australia Map (worth $1,108)
Sensory Pod STEM Wall Activity Table Combo Set 930L (worth $900)
Oskar’s Wooden Ark KAPLA School Pack including 1,000 wooden planks & art books (worth $590)
Bellbird Vegepod Raised Garden Bed, Children’s Gardening Gloves, & Hand Tools (worth $426)
EducationAll Junior Inventor XXL Kindergarten Set (worth $400)
Cowtrees Clixo Family Pack (worth $296)
Makedo Invent Kit (worth $250)
Officeworks $100 gift card

Sensory Pod STEM Wall Element, Mount Single Panel Extension, & End Bars (worth up to $514)
Education Technology Specialists Rechargeable Bee-Bot & Australia Map (worth $238)
Mana 6-month subscription to the AI-aide Room Plan (worth $234)
Makedo Create Kit (worth $165)
WaterUps Square Planter (worth $90)
Bellbird Assorted Learning Tool, such as 3D Stacking Puzzles or Magnetic Wands (worth up to $64)
EducationAll Find and Count Set (worth up to $60)
Officeworks Hape Marble Run Race Track (worth $50)
Oskar’s Wooden Ark KAPLA Challenge Pack including 16 natural planks (worth $35)
Cowtrees Moluk Weather Set (worth $25)

Prizes for the National Winner (worth over $6,000!)

WaterUps $1,500 product credit
Education Technology Specialists Bee-Bot Rechargeable Swarm & Australia Map (worth $1,108)
Sensory Pod STEM Wall Activity Table Combo Set 930L (worth $900)
Oskar’s Wooden Ark KAPLA School Pack including 1,000 wooden planks & art books (worth $590)
EducationAll Magnetrix Set (worth $530)
Mana 12-month subscription to the AI-aide Room Plan (worth $468)
Bellbird LED Light Panel & Early Years Maths Resource or Light Box Set (worth $440)
Cowtrees Clixo Family Pack (worth $296)
Makedo Invent Kit (worth $250)
Officeworks $100 gift card

Prizes for each State & Territory Winner (worth over $1,400)

Sensory Pod STEM Wall Element, Mount Single Panel Extension, & End Bars (worth up to $514)
Education Technology Specialists Rechargeable Bee-Bot & Australia Map (worth $238)
Mana 6-month subscription to the AI-aide Starter Plan (worth up to $234)
Makedo Create Kit (worth $165)
WaterUps Square Planter (worth $90)
EducationAll Rings and Sticks Set (worth $75)
Bellbird Assorted Learning Tool, such as 3D Stacking Puzzles or Magnetic Wands (worth up to $64)
Officeworks Hape Marble Run Race Track (worth $50)
Oskar’s Wooden Ark KAPLA Challenge Pack including 16 natural planks (worth $35)
Cowtrees Moluk Weather Set (worth $25)

Our Award sponsors have also generously donated the following prizes for the individual educators and teachers named as our National and State and Territory Winners.

Sensory Pod designs inclusive sensory environments that foster regulation, focus, learning, and well-being, particularly for neurodivergent individuals. Their STEM Wall is an innovative, hands-on learning range that combines tactile exploration with STEM concepts. These interactive panels and play systems encourage curiosity, discovery, and problem-solving, making STEM accessible, inclusive, and engaging for all learners.

Mana is committed to creating a world where technology amplifies the human touch in education. Their AI-first child development platform streamlines administrative tasks, enhances teaching practices, and fosters meaningful connections between educators, children, and families.

Educational Technology Specialists help Australian schools inspire and engage students with the very best educational technologies and services available. They offer science, robotics, and mathematics equipment, as well as literacy resources, puzzles, and construction, engineering, and makerspace tools.

WaterUps is passionate about helping communities grow healthy food and plants using sustainable wicking technology. Their wicking systems use sub-irrigation to reduce water usage, support plant growth, and make gardening easy for everyone — especially young learners. The wicking systems become living classrooms full of hands-on experiences that help children explore STEM concepts such as water cycles and plant biology.

Makedo is the original cardboard construction system for kids. Makedo’s multi-award-winning tools are safe, reusable, and have been facilitating hands-on learning in classrooms worldwide for over 15 years. With upcycled cardboard as the building block, Makedo champions sustainability and encourages the mindset of ‘making do’ with the resources we have on hand.

EducationAll has over 1,500 resources across ranges such as Art & Craft, Dramatic Play, Science, Mathematics, and Engineering. Their goal is to provide affordable and quality products – they assure the highest standard of materials are used to create their range of pedagogically focused resources and classroom equipment.

Bellbird is Australia’s early learning specialist, partnering with educators to create environments where children thrive and teaching is empowered. Beyond supplying curated, EYLF-aligned resources, they’re also fit-out specialists with over 35 years of experience in innovative 3D modelling and design tools that make planning effortless and inspiring.

Oskar’s Wooden Ark specialises in eco-friendly products that foster imaginative play and hands-on STEM exploration, including wooden toys, eco art and craft supplies, and STEM-focused educational resources. They believe in the power of open-ended play to develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills — fundamental elements of early STEM education.

Cowtrees is an Australian-owned online retailer of toys, games, and puzzles. They offer a wide range of quality products which aim not only to entertain but also educate children and support their development. Cowtrees believes in the power of imagination and is dedicated to providing a diverse range of toys that inspire creativity, learning, and joy.

Learn more about our sponsors below:

Entries must be submitted by 11:59pm, 31 May 2026 AEST.
Only one submission will be accepted from each nominee in each category. In the service/classroom category, a service may submit two (or more) nominations in the case that the educators in two (or more) separate rooms independently co-developed STEM projects with their children. However, the same room cannot submit more than one project.
Entries will only be reviewed if the application is complete and submitted in the requested format.
Submissions are open to all early learning settings and educators and teachers working with children aged 0-8 years in Australia, this includes OSHC settings working with children in this age-bracket.
Little Scientists reserves the right not to award a winner if the quality of entries in a category or state or territory does not meet the judges’ quality standard.
Winners will be notified via email or phone and may be announced on the Little Scientists website and/or social media platforms.
All submissions become the property of Little Scientists Australia. As such, Little Scientists is the owner of all copyright and other intellectual property in all submitted and winning entries.
Information submitted as part of nomination submissions may be used by Little Scientists for promotional purposes, including on websites, social media, printed material, advertisements, and press releases.
Prizes are not redeemable for cash, credit, or product.
To withdraw an application, written notification is required via email to awards@littlescientists.org.au at any time.
If for any reason Little Scientists is unable to run the awards as planned, Little Scientists will use its discretion to cancel or postpone the event.

2024 Awards

In 2024, Little Scientists held its fourth Early STEM Education Awards with the theme “Overcoming the gender bias in early STEM education” to shine a spotlight on the importance of empowering girls in STEM from the earliest years. The awards were judged by an independent panel that included Dr Kate Highfield (Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Canberra), Margaret Shepherd (President of the Australian Science Teachers Association), Luke Atchison (Assistant Director of the STEM Team at the Australian Government Department of Education), BJ Anyos (Early Learning Coordinator at Questacon), and Himal Randeniya (Founder of LoveHeart AI).

Our award ceremonies were all the more joyful thanks to the attendance of the Councillors, Mayors, Ministers, MPs, and Senators — many representing the Minister for Education the Hon. Jason Clare MP — who helped celebrate our winners.

2024 Service & Classroom Winners

2024 Educator & Teacher Winners

“Challenging and overcoming gender stereotypes in early STEM education is vital to me. It’s rooted in my belief that all children deserve to see themselves as capable scientists, engineers, and innovators.”

“I’m passionate about nurturing the foundation for scientific principles in babies and toddlers. I aim to grow their curiosity, engage their senses, and encourage wonder.”

“When we see the world through children’s eyes, we connect with their sense of wonder. Finding out what each educator sees is also key in guiding them on how to approach STEM learning.”

“Following the natural curiosity of children to deepen their learning and engagement with each other, will create children (and adults) for whom learning is joy.”

“Every child deserves equal opportunities to explore their interests and potential without limitations imposed by outdated societal norms.”

“I love coaching others to observe children using a STEM lens. Early childhood is when children are receptive to new ideas, so we must ensure we don’t extinguish these sparks.”

“I am incredibly passionate about providing a joyful space for children to wonder, question, explore, and tinker with STEM inquiries. I am always the co-researcher, co-collaborator, and co-explorer.”

Supported by the Australian Government

Little Scientists is proudly supported by the Australian Government through the Department of Education. In 2024, we were grateful to have the support of the Minister for Education, the Hon. Jason Clare MP, and the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth, the Hon. Dr Anne Aly MP, in celebrating the winners of the Little Scientists Early STEM Education Awards.