World Science Festival regional tour kicks off in Gladstone

The wonders of science will be on show in Gladstone today as the countdown for World Science Festival Brisbane begins with a free community day.

Science Minister Leeanne Enoch said the Gladstone community day was the first stop on the regional program for World Science Festival Brisbane event in the Queensland capital from 22-26 March. 

“The World Science Festival regional program is a great opportunity to bring world-class science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) events to regional communities,” Ms Enoch said.

“These events are important to inspire young people, families and Central Queensland communities about pursuing careers in STEM.

“The program provides opportunities for the Gladstone community to get hands-on and learn how science impacts our day-to-day lives from making a phone call to building a house.”

Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher encouraged local residents to attend the community day and interact with leading researchers and scientists and get hands-on with science experiments and challenges, robots and interactive workshops.

“This is a rare opportunity for Gladstone residents to see a world-class event brought to Central Queensland by the prestigious World Science Festival. It is bound to inspire people of all ages to explore the opportunities that science offers,” he said.

Queensland Museum Network CEO and Director and Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Suzanne Miller said the festival would spark an enthusiasm for science by inspiring students, teachers and whole communities to take an interest in STEM.

“Science is constantly changing our lives and challenging our perceptions, helping to craft a future we couldn’t have imagined even a years ago,” Professor Miller said.

“We have been able to expand our Regional Program for 2017 and bring this incredible, free event to Gladstone for the first time, thanks to the support from our community partner QGC.”

Ms Enoch said the festival reinforced Queensland’s global position as a knowledge hub and provided a platform for new and challenging discussions about STEM.

“The World Science Festival 2017 supports the $405 million whole-of-government Advance Queensland initiative by meeting the needs of our state in the future where jobs will require STEM skills,” she said.

The World Science Festival Brisbane Regional Program is presented by Queensland Museum and the Queensland Government, in partnership with Tourism and Events Queensland with proud support from community partner QGC.

The Queensland Museum is committed to regional engagement. As well as the regional program for World Science Festival Brisbane, the Museum network comprises: five campuses in Brisbane, Ipswich, Townsville, Toowoomba and Hendra.

World Science Festival Brisbane 2017 tickets are available at www.worldsciencefestival.com.au

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