Three of our Year 11 students spent three days living on campus at university during the school holidays as part of a science and maths academic enhancement program.
Bailey Caldwell, Maddison Weldon, and Emily Strachan are participating in the Strengthening Engagement and Achievement in Mathematics and Science (SEAMS) program, run by Monash University and the University of Melbourne. The program aims to boost students’ academic performance in maths and science while immersing them in a first-hand university experience. Students from 32 schools across Victoria attended the camps.
The students stayed in university residential halls and attended classes designed to prepare them for their Maths Methods, Chemistry and Physics subjects. Classes were taught by expert secondary teachers with assistance from high-achieving university students, who acted as tutors and mentors to the young participants.
Students also met faculty staff and learned about the enormous range of pathways and opportunities available at university.
Immersed in fun and puzzling activities, from trivia to the inaugural Rube Goldberg Machine challenge, students formed strong bonds with others from across the state who share their interests and aspirations. These relationships will continue via online learning platforms and social media, and the students will be reunited in July at a second camp. The majority of SEAMS participants report feeling better prepared for their VCE studies after attending SEAMS. Last year 95% of students who graduated from the SEAMS program in 2014 received offers for STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) university courses.
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