By Natalie Gallenti]
A GROUP of science whizzes from Taylors Lakes Secondary College have taken out the Ultimate Challenge during the climax of Victoria University’s three-day Science Experience.
For their extraordinary efforts, the Year 9 students won $2000 for their school to go towards science infrastructure and a year’s subscription to New Scientist magazine.
Each of the winners will also have their Victorian Certificate of Education science books paid for when they reach their senior schooling years.
Science student Andrew Spalato said he was shocked when they were announced as the winners.
The Hillside resident said he had been interested in science – and particularly astronomy – from a young age and would be studying accelerated physics next year.
“I always liked looking at the stars and knowing how the world works,” Spalato said.
The Science Experience, held at VU’s Footscray Park campus, brought together more than 140 Year 9 students from 10 western region colleges to undertake a diverse range of hands-on science experiences. Each student undertook five scientific experiences over the three days as well as taking part in a number of side activities.
The Ultimate Challenge pitted a group of four students from each school against each other in a showdown of science knowledge, which included questions relating to their secondary curriculum.
VU Lecturer in Foundation Studies Nick Athanasiou said students were extremely competitive.
“Each experience during the three-day event was designed to engage students, to spike their interest and to provide them with a science palette which they may not have been exposed to in the past.”
