Siemens Science School - three years later

The Siemens Science Schools were started at Monash University, Melbourne, Australia in 1990, when 179 Year 10 students attended. Schools have now spread to 20 universities across Australia. Siemens Ltd. is the major sponsor. The three-day schools aim to give participants a hands-on experience of science and technology in an effort to raise their interest in careers in engineering and science. Students engage in lectures, problem-solving laboratory activities, and visit several technology-based industries which give hands-on experiences (e.g. Telecom Australia, BHP Steel, medical laboratories, scientific instrument makers). The promoters were particularly interested in whether the Schools increased participants' interests in science/technology and commissioned a study of the participants three years after the first School (by which time they had made career choices). An extensive survey, with a high response rate, showed that the School had increased students' interest in science/technology and had influenced many into seeking a career in these areas.