Inspiring the next generation of scientific thinkers

“Many students think STEM jobs are for people in lab coats and not for them,” says Professor Lisa Williams from UNSW Sydney’s School of Psychology and Executive Director of the Future You program.

“But that’s not the case at all. STEM skills are essential for so many jobs. Think about a patisserie chef who uses maths to create perfect recipes, or a hairstylist who uses chemistry to mix dyes.”

By raising awareness of the diversity of STEM careers, the Future You program has gone from strength to strength.

With current funding from the Optiver Foundation, the program has already engaged nearly 200,000 Australian students, parents, teachers and community members.

UNSW’s Future You program is designed to get children aged 8 to 12 excited about STEM subjects and inspire them to explore future careers that use STEM skills. It includes a range of free resources that help teachers, parents and children engage with STEM in a fun and accessible way.

One stream of the program features Pathfinders, or STEM role models, including a wool broker, a playground engineer and an Indigenous Australian nurse. Future You’s Pathfinder videos are now featured on ABC iview and ABC Education.

One of the program’s key aims is to reach students who have been historically underrepresented in STEM, including girls, children from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those with disabilities, students from remote, regional and Indigenous communities, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

“By opening doors and shifting stereotypes, we will be able to foster greater diversity across the STEM workforce as a whole,” Professor Williams says.

Learn more about how you can donate to scholarships that open doors to university for students from underrepresented backgrounds.