The University of Notre Dame Australia has donated its excess physics equipment to Western Australian primary schools, helping to encourage more students to embrace and pursue a career in science.
A recent renovation and spring clean of the science labs in Fremantle uncovered physics equipment that was no longer needed for the Bachelor of Science program.
Among the excess equipment was Bunsen burners, weights and a pulley set for motion and friction experiments, equipment for lessons in electronics and lenses for exploring light.
The physics equipment was given to the Science Teachers’ Association of Western Australia (STAWA) so it could be recycled and given a new life with primary school students.
The STAWA will use some of the equipment for its workshops and has donated the remainder to teachers from across Perth who attended their recent Open Lab afternoons in the northern and southern suburbs.
Associate Professor Dylan Korczynskyj from the School of Arts and Sciences said Notre Dame was proud to help the STAWA – a small not-for-profit that promotes and supports science teaching across the State.
“Part of what STAWA does is enable science teaching by providing curriculum, workshops and even the supply of gear,” he said.
“Because of this they were the natural choice to turn to when we have equipment that was unused.
“The equipment was in good shape and had plenty more to give, but it would have been relatively expensive to buy new.”
STAWA Chief Executive Officer John Clarke said the teachers who came to the Open Lab afternoons were “very appreciative” of the free extra resources that they could take back to their schools.
Associate Professor Korczynskyj also recently took some science gear to La Grange Remote Community School in the Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community, about 180km south of Broome.
He and his wife, an early childhood teacher, spent two days at the school helping out in the classrooms and passing on resources that can be used to investigate renewable energy.
