A Transformational STEM Learning Experience
Founded in 2021, the NSW Virtual STEM Academy (NSWVSA) is a STEM Enrichment program initaitive, designed to provide innovative and high-impact STEM learning opportunities for students across NSW. This initaitive, is based at Murrumbidgee Regional High School – Griffith and is coordinated through the Murrumbidgee Academy of STEM Excellence (MASE). The NSWVSA connects students with advanced STEM programs, industry partnerships, and cutting-edge research, expanding access to high-quality STEM education regardless of location.
Designed to bridge the equity gap in STEM education, NSWVSA provides high-achieving students in Years 5-10 with innovative, online STEM enrichment programs. These courses inspire deep learning, critical thinking, and collaboration, connecting students with industry experts, researchers, and like-minded peers.
NSWVSA focuses on regional, rural, and remote students, delivering high-quality courses in areas such as engineering, cybersecurity, biomedical science, computational thinking, forensic science, Indigenous seasons, and scientific inquiry. Using the iSee virtual platform, students in geographically isolated areas can access world-class STEM learning opportunities.
Students can engage with NSWVSA through three key course types:
- Skill Builder – Develops deep subject knowledge and STEM-related skills through hands-on, inquiry-based learning, supported by explicit teaching strategies.
- Grand Challenge – Empowers students to solve real-world local and global challenges using STEM knowledge, with explicit instruction to support problem-solving and critical thinking.
- Challenge Your Thinking – Provides access to leading researchers, industry professionals, and STEM experts, exploring emerging fields, careers, and technological advancements.
NSWVSA delivers three rounds of courses per year, with each course running for eight weeks, featuring one 50-minute online lesson per week.
The NSWVSA operates from multiple delivery sites across NSW, ensuring a broad reach for students in different regions. The program is headquartered at Murrumbidgee Regional High School – Griffith, with additional delivery sites at:
- Rivers Virtual STEM Academy - Southern Cross University (Lismore)
- Hunter Virtual STEM Academy - Maitland Grossmann High School (Maitland)
- Central Coast Virtual STEM Aacdemy - Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College – The Entrance Campus (The Entrance)
- Illawarra Virtual STEM Academy - Corrimal High School (Wollongong)
- Crookwell Virtial STEM Academy - Crookwell High School (Crookwell)
These sites align with regional Academies of STEM Excellence, further supporting STEM education in rural and regional communities.
The NSWVSA has been made possible through generous funding support from Australian Schools Plus, which recognised the program’s impact through the Commonwealth Bank Teaching Fellowship, and the St George Foundation, which has provided funding through its Inspire Grant. These contributions have been instrumental in expanding access to high-quality STEM education across regional, rural, and remote NSW.
Recognised for its excellence and impact in STEM education, NSWVSA was awarded The Secretary's Award For an Outstanding School Initiative by the NSW Department of Education in 2023, highlighting its role in delivering high-quality, equitable, and innovative STEM programs to students across NSW.
