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5/12/24
Building Future-Ready Communities: Maranoa Partner Program
The Smart Cities Challenge in Maranoa 2050
What will the Maranoa region look like in 2050? How can STEM education help shape smarter, more connected, and more sustainable communities? These were the big questions driving the Future Maranoa STEM Innovation Program, an ambitious initiative that brought together students, educators, and industry leaders to explore the future of regional living.
With hands-on learning, design challenges, and real-world problem-solving, this program gave 184 students and 21 teachers across five schools the opportunity to imagine, prototype, and create solutions for their own future communities. Through coding, robotics, digital twin technology, and engineering challenges, students not only built Smart Future Cities—they also built the confidence and skills needed for the future workforce.
A Vision for Maranoa 2050
The Smart Cities Challenge was more than just a school-based STEM initiative—it was a community-driven collaboration aimed at empowering students to become problem-solvers and innovators. Through a combination of the STEM Community Forum, which engaged local leaders in defining STEM priorities for the region, school engagements that provided interactive workshops and hands-on STEM learning, and the Industry Showcase Event, where students built and presented their Smart Future Cities, this program laid the foundation for long-term STEM engagement in Maranoa, connecting education, industry, and community in meaningful ways.
Hands-On Learning: From Concept to Reality
The highlight of the program was the Smart Future City project, where students designed sustainable, technology-driven cities that could address regional challenges. Students created virtual replicas of their city designs using TinkerCAD and Minecraft Education, programmed automated city features and built functional prototypes, and constructed physical models to explore city infrastructure and renewable energy solutions. This practical, project-based learning approach gave students an exciting and tangible way to apply math, science, and technology to real-world challenges.
“10 out of 10, would do again! Seeing students light up when they learned new coding skills or built their city in TinkerCAD was incredible.” – Natasha Luck, Teacher, Injune State School
Student & Teacher Voices: The Impact of the Program
The response from both students and teachers was overwhelmingly positive, reinforcing the importance of STEM learning in regional communities.
Student Feedback (Survey Data):
✅ 97% said the event increased their confidence in STEM
✅ 92% became more interested in STEM career pathways
✅ 89% felt the experience was engaging and enjoyable
“I’ve never done anything like this before! It was awesome to see my ideas come to life in a digital twin.” – Year 8 Student
Teacher Feedback (Survey Data):
✅ 100% of teachers would recommend the event to others
✅ 100% said it improved their understanding of STEM teaching strategies
✅ 100% said they gained knowledge and skills they could apply in their teaching
“This was an outstanding opportunity for students to develop real-world skills and creativity. The challenge of constructing a Smart Future City allowed students to think critically and solve problems in an engaging way.” – Mark Watson, Principal, St John’s School, Roma
“10 out of 10, would do again! Seeing students light up when they learned new coding skills or built their city in TinkerCAD was incredible.” – Natasha Luck, Teacher, Injune State School
Looking Forward: A Lasting STEM Legacy
The Future Maranoa 2050 Smart Cities Challenge is more than just a one-time event—it’s the beginning of a sustained movement towards greater STEM engagement in regional communities. The next steps include expanding school participation to reach more students across Maranoa, growing industry partnerships to bridge the gap between STEM education and future careers, and building on community collaborations to ensure long-term STEM development.
By empowering students with the skills to innovate, design, and build the future, programs like this ensure that Maranoa remains a thriving, future-ready region.
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