Students from the Snowy Monaro Academy of STEM Excellence and Berridale Public School became junior scientists and researchers on an important STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) project they have been learning about for the year, creating innovative designs and structures to solve a climate change problem encountered by the Bogong Moth and Pygmy Possum.

The students’ designs were judged as part of Cooma North Public School’s second year of hosting a STEM Industry Partnership Day and Showcase last Friday.

The students presented their projects, developing design solutions to address climate change challenges - including protecting the Mountain Pygmy Possum and tracking the Bogong Moth.

Throughout the process, they demonstrated their skills in design thinking - from sketching and planning to constructing and coding their designs using MicroBits and LEGO Spike Robotics.

The Pygmy Possums are starving, STEM Academy program teacher, Chrissi Graham, said so the students have created designs to try and save the Pygmy Possum and help the Bogong Moths’ population to increase.

“They have built Bogong Moth attractors in Stages two and three and Kindergarten and Stage one made possum houses,” she said.

“Stage one made codes for a temperature. monitor for the possum boxes so it will alert if it’s too hot for the possums living in it.”

Similarly, stage three’s special feature was to make temperature monitors and flashing lights to encourage the moths to the special traps they built.

“So the students researched the Pygmy Possum and Bogong Moth, what they need to survive and how to do it,” she said.

There were five groups selected for their winning designs.

One of the winning group members, Piper Curtis, said designing a moth trap was a fun project and the members are happy their design was chosen as a protoype.

“We trap the moths in our plastic box which is camouflaged, and the moth comes down the funnel and falls into the hole in the box. The Microbit tells us if the temperature is good for the moths. We give the moths to scientists and they will breed them and then take them out to the Blue Mountains and release them,” Piper said.

Students also had the opportunity to share their learning with families and visitors from Monaro High School, Nimmitabel Public School, Bredbo Public School and Cooma North Preschool.

In addition, students engaged with a range of local STEM-based industry stall holders, gaining valuable insights and hands-on experience while learning about local career pathways in STEM.

Cooma North Public School thanked its guest judges Anna Kemp from the Crookwell Academy of STEM Excellence STEM Industry School Partnerships - SISP Program, Professor Manjula Sharma and Professor Elizabeth Angstmann from the STEM Teacher Enrichment Academy at University of Sydney and Carolyn Ewart and Andrew Burke from Snowy Hydro - for their project support and for undertaking the challenging task of selecting the winning projects.

Cooma North Public School extended its appreciation to all participating businesses for their support, and a special thank you to Cooma Rotary Club, Melray Meat and Coles Cooma for sponsoring the barbecue lunch.

“It was a fantastic day celebrating innovation, creativity, and community partnerships in STEM education,” school principal, Jo Tozer, said.

“We start with the little ones and go all the way through...it’s evolved from robotics and coding and the event has become huge.

“We have 26 stalls here this year, it’s bigger than last year, and we are developing great partnerships through Chrissi and the STEM Day, across our community.”