Ten Year 9 and 10 students recently attended the 2026 ‘Emerging Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) for Women Program’ held at the EcoLinc Science & Technology Centre in Bacchus Marsh. The event was designed to inspire young women to explore STEM fields through an engaging combination of guest speakers, hands-on workshops, and direct networking opportunities. Throughout the day, students connected with professional women across diverse scientific disciplines and gained insights into higher education pathways and career opportunities.
Keynote speaker Emi Arnold, a consulting ecologist with five years of fieldwork experience across southeastern Australia, kicked off the session. Her extensive field research spans environments ranging from East Gippsland rainforests to mallee dunes, ephemeral rivers, and native grasslands around Melbourne and the NSW Riverina. Specialising in fauna surveys, habitat connectivity infrastructure, and emerging monitoring technologies, Arnold also shared her personal passion for birdwatching. She highlighted her 2023 rediscovery of the Victorian Grassland Earless Dragon west of Melbourne—a species previously presumed extinct—which sparked major regional survey efforts that she remains heavily involved in.
The program featured four immersive workshops designed to test students' teamwork and analytical skills. In the Grassland Amazing Race, teams tackled problem-solving challenges inspired by Victoria's native grasslands while racing against the clock to discover local plants and animals. Operation Dragon Rescue functioned as an escape room challenge where students acted as conservation scientists, analyzing biological evidence and unlocking puzzles to understand the adaptations, diet, and ecological needs of the critically endangered earless dragon. In Grassland Detectives, participants stepped into the shoes of field ecologists to investigate endangered ecosystems and conduct hands-on quadrat studies. Lastly, Balancing Act: People, Places & Potoroos operated as an interactive strategy game where students weighed real-world housing and development needs against the survival requirements of the endangered Potoroo.
To round out the event, students participated in a dynamic ‘STEM Careers speed-dating’ session. Each student selected six professionals to meet and converse with, gaining firsthand career insights. The cohort of speed daters featured women working as ecologists, plant scientists, research scientists, neuroscientists, geospatial scientists, physiotherapists, university lecturers in animal behaviour and ecology, as well as managing directors and CEOs of STEM-related companies.
