Australian Science and Mathematics School

Hi All,

On the 1st of September, we traveled to the Australian Science and Mathematics School in Adelaide with Ms. Bohni and Ms. Trickett for the 20th International Science Fair. It was an amazing experience where we collaborated with other students from around Australia and the globe on projects, explored different cultures and made many new friends.

On the first day, we were welcomed at the opening ceremony and then were introduced to our Challenge Based Learning (CBL) sessions for the week. We participated in the health CBL where we were tasked with creating a poster to tackle a health-related issue. We also participated in tours of an Indigenous Australian cultural site at the Warriparinga Wetlands and had a try at basket weaving which became very popular amongst the students and teachers! 

The week was filled with many more fun activities. Alongside our challenge-based learning sessions, we were able to visit Cleland Wildlife Park, where we saw and even got to pet different Australian animals, many of which the international students had never seen before. A quick drive up to Mt Lofty Lookout gave us a view over the whole city, and we also had the chance to walk around Glenelg to go shopping or walk along the beach. Each night was filled with lots of fun and each school shared their experiences in their country along with games, snacks and souvenirs. This included karaoke, Just Dance, poly-pong (4 way table tennis), charades and more. We shared a game of bang with everyone along with a variety of Australian snacks to try. 

Thursday was the day of the poster exhibition where all the students shared their posters with the ASMS school community, international students and teachers, as well as other members of the community. It was an amazing experience where we got to learn about quantum computing advancements, measuring blood sugar levels via a housemade device, and preventing the spread of destructive bacteria in wheat fields, among other interesting projects. The following day, Kiana and Mahta presented their project on “The effect of Lysine concentration on the regenerative capacity of stem cells in Planaria”, and Dylan and Mehak presented their project on “How do hydrogels affect the water retention abilities of soil”.

After all the hard work in the Challenge Based Learning sessions, we finally presented our solutions to combating antimicrobial resistance before saying goodbye to all the friends we made (a few tears were shed) and departing for Melbourne. 

~ Mahta, Kiana, Dylan, Mehak