STEM MAD can be the perfect extension for High Potential and Gifted students, embedded in Religious Education or PDHPE. It promotes design thinking to come up with solutions to the current issues that students and the world face. Any KLA can join STEM MAD.Â
STEM MAD is for everyone.
ST2-DDT-01, ST2-DDT-02
Design is a process of creating and innovating
Year 3
Potential to link back to Term 1 content around environment, ecosystems and what living things need to survive. Links to Stewardship/Laudato si
Year 4
Open to empathising with any issue in the community, country or world. What is it that the students see as an issue they would like to solve?
Year 5
Potential to link back to Term 1 content around data collection and weather devices.
Combine with Term 2 content looking at then human body systems and Australian inventions. Can the students come up with a solution to support body systems, health related issues?
Could be a digital system/solution or app for monitoring and predicting health issues.
Year 6
Align with Term 2 content around environment, climate and sustainability.
Run as a open empathy design challenge - noting that Term 4 has Design content.
STEM MAD can be run embedded from many KLAs or subject selections in secondary.Â
Focus on Catholic Social Teaching and Social Justice issues
Work through an entrepreneurial mindset and have students develop products for impact
Capture major projects, students are already during the hard work it is a great opportunity to further showcase these to authentic audiences
The STEM MAD Student Showcase is a celebration of student learning designed to acknowledge and promote STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate the particularity of Catholic Schools; encouraging students to make a difference (MAD) in the world by acting for justice and the common good.Â
Primary and Secondary schools are invited to showcase student learning at CEDoW STEM MAD. The showcase is designed to celebrate STEM-based learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate how students in Catholic schools take action that matters.
Schools are invited to select individual or group student projects to be presented at the showcase. Students will share their learning in a gallery-style format allowing their peers, teachers, and the greater CEDoW learning community to understand the what, how, and why of their STEM-based learning.
What schools need to do:
Select student projects that showcase a product, service or innovation that will Make a Difference (MAD) to the lives of others and our world.
What schools need to know:
The CEDoW STEM MAD Showcase will run as a feature event INNOVATE for IMPACT - September, 2026 at the Innovation Campus in Wollongong to celebrate the students' work.Â
Finalists will be selected to present their projects to the National Competition to be held November 26 in Sydney.
STEM MAD is an opportunity to showcase and celebrate what your students have been doing in the STEM space. From app prototypes to entrepreneurial social enterprises. If your students have worked to solve a real-world problem they are eligible!
What does this mean?
Locally - the chance to celebrate their efforts and share their solutions to an authentic audience. We will be holding a showcase event to capture the amazing work students have been doing.Â
Nationally - the chance to participate in the National Showcase in Melbourne later this year.
How to get involved?
Any learning projects that have been completed this year are eligible. Check out the Project Criteria to see if what you have done fits. Plan for Term 2 projects that will 'Make a Difference'. Align your units to create a solution that meets the criteria.
If you think you've got something to showcase then please complete this short survey to indicate your school's intention to enter.Â
CELEBRATE students taking action that makes a difference
SHOWCASE deep learning
ENGAGE schools in effective STEM based multidisciplinary inquires
PROMOTE high quality STEM education for future focused learning
CONTEXTUALISE STEM in the core curriculum
ENACT SOCIAL JUSTICE for the Common Good
STEM MAD Nationals 2024 - Primary project criteria.docxSTEM MAD Nationals 2024 - Seconadary project criteria.docxThe 'Future is STEM' project category was created when it became apparent that there were students creating extremely impressive integrated STEM projects which demonstrated all the STEM capabilities but didn't quite meet the 'MAD' criteria. In order to continue to encourage those students to participate in STEM MAD and celebrate their demonstrated understanding of STEM the 'Future is STEM' category was born and it continues to produce exciting and highly skilled projects.
Students will be required to submit a video submission of their project and how it meets the criteria by Making a Difference (or Future STEM). The video submission be no longer than 2.5 minutes and capture the 5 key points:
Who is impacted by this problem?
What methods did you use?
What research did you do?
What other experts were involved?
How did you test your solution?
What are your findings or conclusions?
How did you/will you communicate your results
Selected students will be assigned an area at INNOVATE for IMPACT to present their learning. The designated area will include a table, wall space, or booth. Students will be allocated time at this location to present their learning in an informal way to attendees. Please note students will be required to repeat their presentation for multiple attendee groups during the allocated time.
When showcasing your work you will need to be able to discuss your problem and how you got to your solution in detail. Below are some guiding questions.
Who is impacted by this problem?
What methods did you use?
What research did you do?
What other experts were involved?
How did you test your solution?
What are your findings or conclusions?
How did you/will you communicate your results
Students are encouraged to enhance their presentations and support the above questions with some of the below ideas:
Posters
Videos
Learning artifacts
Science boards
Live demonstrations or learning
Models
Design prototypes
