Science Week 2026: Planting the Seeds of Scientific Discovery
This week we celebrated National Science Week 2026 with this year’s theme, Seeds of Science: Nurturing Knowledge for All. To celebrate, I organised an MLC School STEM week, full of exciting hands-on activities and events to spark curiosity, encourage scientific thinking and inspire students to explore the world of science.
Australian Science Teachers Association Website
Our highlight event was the 2026 STEM Diorama Competition! Students in Year 7 to Year 9 were invited to research a famous scientist and bring their story and scientific findings to life by creating their own creative dioramas.
Monday: We had a range of hands-on experiment workshops, including the chance to;
Grow your own Crystal Garden using metal salt crystals placed in a sodium silicate solution to form tubular, plant-like structures.
Students also had the opportunity to explore the microscopic world using microscopes, as well as dissect and examine whole seeds to investigate their structure and better understand the different parts involved in plant growth.
We germinated seeds in Petri dishes to observe how the roots and stems respond to different environmental factors such as gravity through tropism. Using a retort stand and series of boss heads and angled clamps to hold the Petri dishes at different angles allowed us to observe the progressive growth of the seedlings.
Tuesday:
Delighted to welcome back our guest speaker, Shreeya Haridas, an MLC School Old Girl who graduated in 2017. We had the opportunity to listen to her presentation where Shreeya shared her insights on how STEM has shaped her career journey, from her studies to her current role in sustainability.
Shreeya studied at UTS, completing a Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) alongside a Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation. Her passion for climate change and sustainability has led her to her current position as Sustainability Manager – APAC at ARYZTA.
We gained valuable insight into the diverse pathways available through STEM and heard how Shreeya’s studies, interests and experiences have opened doors to new and emerging career opportunities.
She left us with a resounding quote: “STEM gives us the tools. Sustainability gives us the motivation.”
Wednesday: The science department held the displaying and voting of the 2026 STEM Diorama Competition!
It was wonderful to see students from all cohorts celebrating their peers’ work and voting for their favourite scientist diorama. Additionally they got to participate in a special guessing challenge, trying to identify famous scientists represented in Mrs Lim’s creative LEGO dioramas! It was particularly pleasing to see a strong representation of female scientists across a wide range of disciplines, including Ada Lovelace, Marie Curie, Rosalind Franklin, Gladys West, Barbara McClintock, Temple Grandin and Ayesha Tulloch. The diversity of scientists featured reflected the many different ways STEM continues to influence society, from computing and genetics to conservation and environmental science.
I would like to thank Mrs Lim and Ms Cilia for their invaluable help in organising this event and supporting this STEM Week initiative. I hope the students enjoyed the activities and encourage them to remain curious, hoping they will continue to explore an interest in science and STEM related fields!
Click on gallery to view full images
– Kathleen Chrun (Year 12)
STEM Captain