Lift-off for four NASA-bound Ipswich school girls

11 December 2018

That’s one small step for women, one giant leap for womankind.

Four senior Ipswich Girls’ Grammar School students are off enjoying the space expedition of a lifetime in the United States of America.

Laura Carniel, Isabelle Wolvetang, Jennifer Cosford and Evangeline Sturges (pictured) left this week for NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas as part of the California Association for STEAM Education (CASE) program.

Designed to empower young women to embrace and nurture their interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM), the CASE Space School Expedition is a unique opportunity for the foursome.

Co-funded by the Ipswich & West Moreton Advance Queensland’s Advancing Regional Innovation Program (ARIP), which is led by Ipswich City Council, the girls will be overseas until 22 December working together with like-minded girls from around Queensland, Australia and New Zealand on capability building projects at NASA.

“The expedition is aimed at developing these students’ entrepreneurial skills for success, encouraging higher order thinking and exposure to real-world problems in one of the world’s most profound and inspiring STEAM environments,” said council’s ARIP program leader Maria Baker.

The Ipswich & West Moreton ARIP is co-funding and supporting this program in a bid to assist students to harness innovation and unlock business potential, strengthen existing skills and prepare today’s Ipswich and Queensland students for jobs of the future.

“Travelling with like-minded students and seeing so many mathematics and science skills being utilised in real life experiments and careers will open the girls’ minds to the incredible opportunities available to them after school,” said Kathryn Randall, the students’ teacher and IGGS Head of Personalised Learning.

Evangeline Sturges, who has just completed Year 11 and will be IGGS’s 2019 Head Girl, said she is hoping to pursue a career in STEAM after graduating.

“It is so valuable to have opportunities like this as it shows me what I can do with my skills and knowledge, and excites me about my future – I am incredibly excited for Space Camp,” said Evangeline.

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