Hastings Secondary College

Excellence Innovation Opportunity Success

Future Engineers and Scientists Excel in Statewide Challenge

14 May 2025

From launching gliders to engineering wind turbines, students stepped beyond the classroom to discover just how far their ideas, teamwork, and determination could take them.

This year marks the 25th Anniversary of the prestigious Science and Engineering Challenge, a national STEM initiative designed to ignite curiosity and empower students through hands-on, real-world problem-solving. The event provides a window into the innovation, collaboration, and critical thinking that underpin careers in science and engineering. It serves as a vital learning platform, connecting theory with application in a way that inspires students to explore STEM pathways with confidence and curiosity.

Throughout the day, students were immersed in a series of complex and engaging challenges that demanded innovation, strategy, and adaptability. Each task required participants to apply classroom knowledge in creative ways, fostering teamwork, resilience, and a genuine appreciation for the possibilities within STEM fields.

In what was a highly competitive and closely contested event, our students achieved outstanding success across multiple challenge categories.

Port Macquarie Campus Achievements

Students demonstrated impressive design thinking and practical problem-solving skills, placing First Place in the following categories:

First Place – Fish Trap: Tasked with creating a device to capture “fish” using limited materials, students applied critical thinking around fluid dynamics and mechanical structure. Their efficient, innovative design stood out from the competition.
First Place – Flight: Teams constructed and launched gliders aiming for maximum distance. The winning design balanced weight, shape and aerodynamic stability to great effect.
First Place – Wind Turbine: Students built a turbine capable of generating electrical power, showcasing a strong grasp of mechanical energy conversion and precision design.
First Place – Bridge Challenge: One of the day’s most anticipated events. The Port team constructed a structurally sound bridge using constrained materials, earning recognition for its strength and clever engineering.

Westport Campus Achievements

Westport students also excelled in several categories, demonstrating collaborative thinking, technical skill, and creativity:

First Place – Confounding Communications: This task involved creating a code system to accurately transmit messages. The team’s clear logic, efficient decoding, and teamwork led to a decisive win.
First Place – Fish Trap: With a second win in this challenging category, the Westport team proved their ability to innovate under pressure with sharp, strategic thinking.
First Place – Flight: The team’s glider excelled, reflecting a solid understanding of aerodynamics and thorough pre-event testing.
First Place – Wind Turbine: Their design stood out for consistent power output and construction quality, showing a strong grasp of renewable energy principles.

A Special Honour

Also recognised on the day was Lisa Hall, Head Teacher Science at Port Macquarie Campus, who was formally inducted into the Science and Engineering Challenge Hall of Fame. This prestigious national honour acknowledges her long-standing commitment to STEM education and her significant contributions to the Challenge over many years. Her dedication has opened countless opportunities for students across the region to engage with science and engineering in meaningful, memorable ways.

Events like this highlight the importance of experiential learning. By stepping into the shoes of engineers and scientists, even for a day, students gain valuable insight, inspiration and a stronger sense of their own potential.