Celebrating all things, science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), from March 19 to April 8, Tech Fest will give students, teachers and families the opportunity to discover more about the Andrews Labor Government’s Tech Schools and the cutting-edge programs they will deliver.

Minister for Education James Merlino today joined Tech School students from schools across Victoria at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) as they launched Tech Fest and embarked on the Melbourne Design Week Challenge ‘e-waste evolution’.

Students will deconstruct e-waste, like old laptops, and use recycled components to re-purpose into new products.

The NGV Triennial showcases the use of STEM across mediums including fashion, furniture and interior design, and like Tech Schools, Melbourne Design Week and the NGV Triennial show what design thinking can achieve and how sustainability is critical to our future.

The Tech Schools and the NGV have discussed many ways that they may collaborate, and today’s Design Challenge is the first event.

Tech Fest will provide an insight into each of Victoria’s Tech Schools. Activities include:

• Students working with mentors from ACMI to design and create projection art that reflects the local environment
• Students discovering more about technology in health, virtual reality and robotics
• Building and programming robots from electronic components and 3D printed parts
• Investigating the impact of technology on sport with the AFL’s Geelong Cats
• A fun opportunity to invent, create and pose solutions to an array of community-based challenges.

The Labor Government is investing $128 million to establish 10 Tech Schools across the state as part of its commitment to deliver the Education State for Victoria.

The already operational Yarra Ranges, Monash and Ballarat Tech Schools will open their doors to their local communities, while the seven Tech Schools yet to open have ‘pop-up’ Tech School activities.

For more information about Tech Fest events visit: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/learningdev/techschools/Pages/techfest2018.aspx.