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MathAlive! is an international, interactive exhibit designed for families and students to encourage STEM course uptake. Industry partner and systems integrator Raytheon is playing a key role in expanding school student STEM participation across the nation.
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The Gravity Discovery Centre in Gingin, Western Australia will play host to the first ever visit of MathsAlive! The mission of MathsAlive! is to get young people interested in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) by showing them its connection to the things they relate to, including music, sports, movies and games.
For more than a decade, Raytheon Australia has supported STEM education through other programs such as Questacon’s Innovation Factory – Invent and Play, a travelling exhibition that toured science centres around Australia attracting over 600,000 visitors, and the Schmidt Studio, Questacon’s state-of-the-art digital broadcast studio, which has reached 13,512 students at 387 schools.
Last year, managing director of Raytheon Australia, Michael Ward, said, "Raytheon Australia continued its investment in STEM education by supporting Questacon to roll out the Engineering is Elementary pilot program to more than 80 Australian schools. The Engineering is Elementary program provides teachers with a framework to deliver content aligned with the Australian curriculum using hands-on problem solving through engineering solutions."
All of these activities are designed to explain complex systems integration and engineering concepts in a way that is simple and engaging to motivate even more young people to choose a career in STEM.
"This will help to develop the next generation of Australian engineers that will fuel the global and economic security of Australia's future while building a workforce pipeline for industries such as defence," Ward said.
The exhibition provides students with the opportunity to ride a snowboard in a 3D experience, design (and play) your own video game, capture your 360-degree image in a unique interactive, jump into a fractal dance party, even design a custom skateboard for “pop” – the quick, snapping motion that allows a board to do the best tricks. Through nearly 40 unique, interactive experiences, the exhibit takes maths from its native form into the applied worlds of design, engineering, technology and science.
With the growing focus on the nation's burgeoning space capabilities, students will also be able to explore and operate simulations of NASA’s latest robotics, including the Robonaut 2 and the Curiosity Rover.
Raytheon Australia is a leading systems integrator and plays a critical role in motivating young people to continue their studies in STEM.
The MathsAlive! Australia tour starts at the Gravity Discovery Centre on 14 July 2018 and runs until 7 November 2018, travelling to Canberra later this year. For more information, visit: http://www.mathsalive-au.com/
