By completing the challenge, two teams of students will have the chance to win a trip to Perth and tour a working Australian Navy submarine.
The Nuclear-Powered Submarine Propulsion Challenge is aiming to get young Australian minds thinking like engineers and scientists, by completing activities based on nuclear submarine engineering.
Through the challenge, students will be developing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, all while inspiring innovation, increasing their self-confidence, communication, and teamwork capability.
To enter, students must complete a design task using STEM disciplines to explore technology involved in nuclear-powered propulsion systems used in submarines.
Two winning teams from each state and territory will win flights and accommodation to Perth, and get the chance to visit a real-life Navy base, HMAS Stirling. They'll tour an Australian submarine, eat lunch with Australian submariners, and experience 3D motion training simulators.
Rear Admiral Jonathon Earley, Deputy Chief of Navy, said the challenge is an opportunity for students to get an understanding of the STEM principals behind Australia's nuclear-powered submarine project.
“The classroom curriculum provided through this program seeks to inspire students to be more engaged with STEM subjects and see how they are practically applied in the real world," Rear Admiral Earley said.
"These students and others like them will be our future submariners, engineers and technicians."
Interested schools should register as soon as possible. Full details on how to enter will be supplied after registration, and all challenge entries must be received by 15 September 2023. It is free to enter and open to all high school students in years 7–12.
The Nuclear-Powered Submarine Propulsion Challenge is an introductory-level, nationwide program providing teachers with learning resources to help students design their own engineering plans for submarine nuclear propulsion. The goal is to inspire students to discover how nuclear propulsion works and how it makes submarines more capable.
The challenge is an initiative of the Australian Government’s Department of Defence and STEM Hub, an organisation growing Australia's high-tech economy by increasing student participation in STEM learning by creating fun, relevant and engaging educational resources.
