Alinta Energy partners with leading engineering Academy to support STEM education

Alinta Energy and ATSE are teaming up to grow opportunities for students in regional areas to build skills and confidence in science, technology and engineering.

Enabled by funding from Alinta Energy, ATSE will provide hands-on kits and curriculum-aligned education resources to primary and secondary students at Melville High School in NSW and Gawler & District College in SA.

Located near some of Alinta Energy’s battery and pumped-hydro development projects, the schools will benefit from practical educational resources directly related to their environment, communities and potential career pathways.

Through the proven STELR program, classrooms receive kits to build renewable energy machines, mini sustainable houses and solar cars– supported by free teaching resources that link them to the national science curriculum. Robust, modular and customisable, they are flexible across year levels and will help thousands of students over the years to learn by doing, encouraging them to ask questions, test ideas and engage with real-world challenges.

ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said, “To effectively transition Australia’s energy towards low-carbon and zero-carbon solutions, it’s urgent that we educate and inspire school students, and empower them to make the most of the careers of the future. Supporting hands-on science, technology and engineering education in schools benefits students, teachers, society and the economy by building the skills, capability and motivations of the highly capable professionals who will deliver the energy projects of the future.”

Alinta CEO Jeff Dimery said, “Our partnership with ATSE is about more than just education, it’s about creating real connections between students, their communities, and the future of energy. By supporting schools near our future renewable energy sites, we’re helping young people see themselves in the energy transition and giving them the tools to be part of it.”

As part of the Alinta Energy partnership, ATSE will also provide in-person professional development for teachers, supporting them with training and resources to make the most of the STELR program and kits in their classes. The STELR program offers quality teacher resources which can also support those teaching outside their primary area of expertise, meaning more students will benefit now, and in the years to come.  

ATSE’s partnership with Alinta Energy is part of a broader effort to expand the long-running STELR program into under-resourced regional and remote schools – especially in communities poised to benefit from the energy transition. This work also includes collaboration with the energy sector in the Champions of Change Coalition’s Energy Group.

By giving schools access to in-curriculum resources and engaging students with science, technology and sustainability topics, ATSE and Alinta are developing new cohorts of STEM-literate young people who will form the next generation of energy, technology and industry innovators.

To find out more about the STELR program, and to browse the catalogue of kits for yourself, visit www.atse.org.au/stelr/.