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Crowds descended upon the South Bank Cultural Forecourt for World Science Festival
Brisbane’s Street Science! presented by BHP Billiton Foundation
Partners in discovery
The Queensland Museum Network has enjoyed a long and
productive partnership with BHP through a range of multifaceted
and innovative projects. Through our shared values
and a common desire to inspire new audiences through
the wonders of science, we have together made amazing
discoveries – such as finding fossil remains of extinct
kangaroos and wombats on site at BHP’s South Walker Creek
mine site – and shared these discoveries across the State.
We’ve shared the majesty of Queensland’s unique biodiversity
through education resources, youth engagement programs,
regional outreach events, digital apps, groundbreaking research
and the development of world class exhibition spaces, including the
spectacular Wild State gallery at Queensland Museum.
Today, it is more important than ever that government and
industry work together to find new solutions to global sustainable
development challenges. It was therefore a natural evolution of our
relationship with BHP to partner with the BHP Billiton Foundation
for Street Science! at the 2017 World Science Festival Brisbane.
The BHP Billiton Foundation is a global charity that aims to make a
distinct contribution towards some of the sustainable development
challenges facing our generation. They work in partnership with
others to raise the bar, find new solutions and set new standards
for the future in the areas of Education Equity, Environmental
Resilience and Natural Resource Governance.
In Australia, an important focus of the BHP Billiton Foundation is
on improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)
outcomes for disadvantaged young people. They partner with
organisations including CSIRO and the Australian Mathematical
Sciences Institute (AMSI) to deliver programs that enable young
Australians to access and benefit from STEM opportunities and
career pathways.
In a rapidly changing world, we need young people who are
innovative, resilient problem solvers and critical thinkers. STEM
fosters innovative thinking and problem solving abilities that will
help to address Australia’s sustainable development challenges.
World Science Festival Brisbane is a tangible demonstration of
how art and performance can be used to contextualise STEM,
to challenge standard perceptions about science, to engage
non-traditional audiences in science based activities, and most
importantly, to get the general public excited about science.
At the 2017 World Science Festival Brisbane, BHP Billiton
Foundation proudly presented Street Science! a free two day
family-focused program that provides the perfect setting for tiny
tots to teenagers and the young at heart to discover and enjoy
the wonders of science. Over 60,000 budding scientists engaged
in the action-packed Street Science! program, with more than
40 free immersive events for families to enjoy. The BHP Billiton
Foundation invited audiences to take a fractal “selfie” and immerse
themselves in a Scient’rrific space with mind blowing hands-on
activities exploring how science and maths really are the building
blocks of our everyday lives.
The Queensland Museum Network is fortunate to be supported by
authentic partners like BHP Billiton Foundation that are absolutely
committed to investing in STEM education and the future of
Australia’s research, innovation and entrepreneurship agenda.
Young visitors enjoy one of the colourful displays
in the Wild State gallery at Queensland Museum
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