When you think of world-class STEM innovation, you might picture high-tech city labs or wealthy independent schools, not a regional high school surrounded by farmland. Yet Murrumbidgee Regional High School in country New South Wales is proving that brilliance can thrive anywhere.
At the Australian Education Awards 2025 in Sydney on August 8, the school took out the Street Science Best STEM Program award, beating some of the nation’s most highly resourced schools in Australia. But this win is just the surface of something bigger: a bold, inclusive model that’s redefining what STEM looks like in Australia and giving every student, no matter their postcode, a genuine shot at success.
Dr Scott Sleap, who led the development of the STEM Industry School Partnerships program for the NSW Department of Education in 2017, is a Winston Churchill Fellow who has explored STEM programs around the world.
Speaking to The Educator on the sidelines of the Australian Education Awards 2025 in August, he said there is “nothing that even comes close” to what Murrumbidgee Regional High School is doing in STEM.
“I’m just so proud to be a public educator and so proud of what the school has done,” Dr Sleap told The Educator.
“We’ve all come from regional areas, but as part of what we’ve been doing in STEM, we’ve been able to travel the world and look at exemplary STEM programs, and what I’ve got to say is there is no better STEM program not only in Australia, but the world, than what’s happening in Murrumbidgee Regional High School.”
Below, The Educator speaks to Ian Preston, Deputy Principal at Murrumbidgee Regional High School, who has been the driving force behind this success.
TE: Firstly, congratulations to the school on being awarded the Street Science Best STEM Program! In your own words, what do you believe makes an effective STEM program in 2025?
Thank you — we’re honoured to receive the Street Science Best STEM Program award. In our view, an effective STEM program in 2025 is designed to empower students through a balance of explicit teaching of foundational concepts and hands-on, inquiry-based learning that sparks curiosity, deepens understanding, and promotes real-world problem solving. It must provide multiple access points—whether creative, analytical, collaborative, or technical—so all learners can engage meaningfully and see where a STEM journey can take them.
Above all, strong STEM programs build aspiration and confidence in students by connecting them with role models, mentors, and lived experiences, and by raising awareness of current and future career opportunities—especially for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, girls, students in rural or remote areas, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
While students remain at the centre, a critical success factor is building teacher confidence and capability to deliver integrated, cross-curricular learning with relevance and impact. These programs must be underpinned by effective, sustainable partnerships with industry, universities, and the wider community, giving students greater access to high-quality STEM learning and clearer pathways to further education and employment.
TE: How are the Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence and the NSW Virtual STEM Academy helping students – especially those who have traditionally struggled with STEM – to overcome their learning barriers in this important subject?
The Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence (MASE) and the NSW Virtual STEM Academy (VSA) are transforming the STEM journey for students—especially those in rural, regional, and remote communities, and students who are female, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or from low socio-economic backgrounds. These programs build STEM ability, engagement, and aspiration through high-quality, hands-on learning in areas such as forensics, electronics, coding, agritech, advanced manufacturing, and Indigenous seasonal knowledge. Students benefit from world-leading resources and opportunities, including mentoring with STEM professionals and participation in international competitions and project-based challenges that foster teamwork, creativity, and innovation. Through strong partnerships with industry, universities, and community organisations, students connect with real-world STEM contexts and career pathways. Most importantly, MASE and VSA help students develop confidence, a sense of belonging, and the belief that they can thrive in STEM—empowering them to pursue further education, training, and meaningful futures in Australia’s evolving STEM landscape.
TE: Your STEM program has been described by the NSW Department of Education’s STEM lead as “perhaps the world’s best”. What do you believe makes Murrumbidgee Regional High School’s STEM program stand out from the rest?
Murrumbidgee Regional High School’s STEM program stands out because it is built on a bold, inclusive, and future-focused vision that extends far beyond the classroom. At its core is the Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence (MASE)—a model that combines high-impact pedagogy, cutting-edge resources, and meaningful real-world connections. The program supports students from Kindergarten to Year 12 to our learning community, providing a clear, connected STEM learning pathway from primary to secondary school. Central to its success is a strong focus on building STEM educator capacity through professional learning and mentoring programs that empower teachers to deliver integrated, cross-curricular STEM education. It also works to improve the quality and quantity of STEM instruction —particularly across regional, rural, remote, and underrepresented communities. With a deep commitment to equity, the program enhances teacher confidence and capacity, increases student engagement and aspiration, and improves outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, girls, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
A key driver of the program is a dedicated full-time STEM Project Officer, who leads both MASE and the NSW Virtual STEM Academy (NSWVSA) and actively collaborates with local, national and international STEM educators and professionals, drawing on learnings from high-performing schools, and maintaining ongoing dialogue with global experts to inform strategic direction. This outward-looking and evidence-informed leadership ensures that the program remains globally aligned, locally responsive, and at the forefront of innovative STEM education.
Students engage in hands-on, inquiry-rich learning in areas such as AgriTech, forensics, electronics, coding, advanced manufacturing, Space, and Indigenous seasonal knowledge. Through sustained partnerships with industry, universities, and community organisations, students are connected to real-world STEM contexts, mentors, and career pathways. They gain access to world-leading resources and experiences, and regularly participate in national and international competitions like the FIRST LEGO League and Science and Engineering Challenge—fostering collaboration, creativity, and confidence.
Beyond the classroom, the program actively raises awareness of current and future STEM opportunities among students, families, and the wider community, ensuring more equitable transitions to further education, training, and employment. Supported by the MASE Lending Library, school networks, and system-wide outreach, the program continues to scale its impact—inspiring a new generation of confident, capable STEM learners and leaders.
TE: The Future Skills Organisation states that Australia is projected to face a shortfall of 370,000 digital-workers by 2026. Looking ahead, how will Murrumbidgee Regional High School be evolving (or expanding) its STEM program to ensure young people enrolling at the school keep are equipped with the skills they’ll need to thrive in a workforce likely to be dominated by AI and automation?
Murrumbidgee Regional High School is continually evolving its STEM program to equip students with the skills, knowledge, and mindset required to thrive in a workforce shaped by AI, automation, and emerging technologies. Through the Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence (MASE) and the NSW Virtual STEM Academy, students participate in high-impact, hands-on learning across fields such as AI, robotics, coding, electronics, and data science. These technical experiences are complemented by the development of key capabilities including problem solving, collaboration, creativity, and adaptability.
The program keeps students informed about future workforce directions through mentoring, real-world engagement, and strong partnerships with industry and universities. Rapidly expanding and future-focused, it also prioritises teacher capability—providing ongoing professional learning to ensure educators are confident and equipped to deliver integrated, relevant, and forward-thinking STEM education from primary through to senior years.