2024 School Theme - Species Survivial: More Than Just Sustainability
The Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) has revealed that the theme for National Science Week 2024 will be ‘Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability.’
The decision reflects a growing need to tackle various challenges faced by different organisms on our planet and goes beyond the concept of sustainability so commonly discussed. The theme aims to highlight the importance of science and innovation in ensuring the survival and thriving of different species in an ever-changing world.
Newly appointed Executive Director of ASTA, Dr Brendon Barratt, emphasises the significance of understanding the factors that contribute to species survival. Dr Barratt notes “We want to explore the intricate connections between different species and their environments and how studying science is the key to maintaining the health of these connections. Our goal is to empower students to think critically about the impact of human activities on species survival, enabling them to understand the breadth of the climate change issue beyond the need for solar panels and recycling. Scientists all over the globe are undertaking amazing work in this area. It is important that students and the community at large can see this work and understand how it is relevant to them.”
The ‘Species Survival- More Than Just Sustainability’ theme covers a vast range of topics providing students amazing scope to investigate issues of particular interest to them. It includes disease-causing organisms, life-saving chemicals, clean water, photosynthesis, genetic screening, physics of building structures, artificial intelligence, and microplastics. “Given the breadth of the topic selected, I am excited to see where the students choose to focus their attention and how the scientific community responds, it really provides a wonderful opportunity for students to connect to a broad range of scientists in all fields” Dr Barratt said.
National Science Week 2024 will take place in August, inviting students, teachers, and the wider community to engage in activities, experiments, and discussions that promote a deeper understanding of species survival and the importance of biodiversity conservation.
ASTA encourages all schools, educational institutions, and science enthusiasts to embrace the theme of ‘Species Survival – More Than Just Sustainability’ and create innovative and thought-provoking events for National Science Week 2024.
How Do SCHOOLS Get Involved?
- Schools can apply for up to $500 to help them conduct a National Science Week activity/event. 2024 applications have now closed. Applications for the 2025 grant round will open in March 2025.
Go to a National Science Week in-person or virtual event
- Approximately 1000 events take place around Australia during National Science Week each year, including those delivered by universities, schools, museums and science centres. Enjoy a range of activities in your region or online at home. These events attract a wide audience from children to adults, and science amateurs to professionals. Over one million people participate in science events across the nation, with another 160,000 taking part in school activities. Visit the National Science Week website to discover what events are available this year.
Use the ASTA teacher resource book
- For National Science Week each year, ASTA produces a teacher resource book to help support and assist teachers in providing engaging science activities for their students. This is published prior to National Science Week each year to allow teachers an opportunity to research and plan for their Science Week activities. The book is based, each year, on the National Science Week school theme chosen for that year and is always packed with information, classroom activities, experiments, diagrams, photographs and websites.
- Since 2011, ASTA has provided the teacher resource books as web-based digital books. Titles include – React to Chemistry, Energy Evolution, A Century of Australian Science and Deep Blue: Innovation for the Future of Our Oceans. These are available free of charge from the National Science Week Books and Resources link at the top of this page as electronic downloads.
For more information please contact your state or territory coordinator
| State | Coordinator | Association | |
|---|---|---|---|
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ACT |
Delese Brewster |
SEA*ACT |
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NT |
Rebecca Pan |
STANT |
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NSW |
Josephine Cali |
STANSW |
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QLD |
Mary Rafter |
STAQ |
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SA |
NSWk SA Coordinator |
SASTA |
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TAS |
NSWk TAS Coordinator |
STAT |
|
|
VIC |
Ann Pisarevsky |
STAV |
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|
WA |
Lauren Pascoe |
STAWA |
Our Partners
The Australian Science Teachers Association acknowledges the First Nations peoples of Australia as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work and live. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and future and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.