Bringing Technology to Life: Year 9–11 Students Visit Telstra muru-D

Our Year 9–11 IT students recently had an exciting opportunity to step beyond the classroom and experience the world of technology firsthand during an industry excursion to Telstra’s muru-D innovation lab in Melbourne.

The visit provided students with an engaging insight into emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, 5G connectivity and cybersecurity. Students explored the innovation lab, discovered the possibilities of connected technologies and experienced demonstrations of cutting-edge innovations, including a robotic dog and the exciting opportunity to witness a humanoid robot being unboxed for the first time.

This experience was made possible through a long-standing partnership between Maddie from Telstra, the CSIRO and myself. Through these connections, we have gained valuable insights into some of the most innovative technologies available and created opportunities for our students to experience emerging technologies firsthand. These partnerships provide authentic, industry-led learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom, helping keep our school at the forefront of innovative technology education and inspiring students to explore future pathways in STEM, AI, robotics and cybersecurity.

A highlight of the excursion was the careers presentation, which provided valuable insights into career pathways within the technology industry. Students learnt that employers place enormous value on transferable skills, including curiosity, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, adaptability and a willingness to keep learning. They were also encouraged to demonstrate genuine enthusiasm and share real examples of their achievements to help them stand out when pursuing future opportunities.

Maddie also shared her experience working in cybersecurity, helping students understand the important role technology professionals play in protecting organisations, systems and information in an increasingly connected world.

What made this excursion particularly valuable was the opportunity to connect classroom learning with real-world industry experiences. Students could see how the concepts they explore in Digital Technologies and Applied Computing are applied across professional environments and gain a deeper understanding of the diverse career opportunities available in technology and beyond.

One of the most important messages from the day was to follow your interests, embrace opportunities, remain open to new experiences and, most importantly, never stop learning. These lessons extend far beyond technology and are essential for success in any career pathway.

Experiences like this bring learning to life, broaden students’ horizons and help them recognise how the knowledge and skills they develop at school can open doors to exciting opportunities in the future.

A huge thank you to Maddie and the Telstra team for their time, generosity and enthusiasm in providing such an engaging and inspiring experience for our students. It was an outstanding excursion that demonstrated the power of industry partnerships in creating meaningful learning opportunities and helping our students imagine what their futures could look like.

Taryn Richardson

Technology