Australian Science Fair 2025 wrapped up with success at John Monash Science School

Last week, John Monash Science School students, teachers, and delegates from across Australia and overseas came together to explore STEM challenges, research presentations and exchange of fresh ideas. The school buzzed with curiosity and collaboration, as everyone immersed themselves in the excitement of science during our Annual Australian Science Fair.

The Science Fair officially opened on Monday, 24 November, with the privilege of Aunty Zeta Briggs Thomson’s Welcome to Country, followed by keynote speaker Emily Qiao, a JMSS alumna and Google Artificial Intelligence Customer Engineer, who shared her inspiring journey into science. The ceremony continued with our school principal, Mr Andrew Chisholm, addressing the JMSS community:

“I hope everyone will learn and try something new, get to know and collaborate with people you haven’t met before, and effectively communicate your science investigation to an audience unfamiliar to you.”

Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to present their research and projects to the wider community. They also teamed up for fun STEM challenges, experienced advanced technologies at Monash Tech School, and took part in a scavenger hunt across the Monash Campus. On exhibition night, the school opened its doors to the general public, who experienced hands-on science. It was especially inspiring to see our Little Scientists participants from primary schools onsite, sharing their projects with passion and impressive articulation.

By the end of the Science Fair, many students reflected on their experiences and echoed Mr Chisholm’s opening wishes. One highlight for many was “seeing how other people approach their research, how well-developed their projects were, and getting to dive into pure science with others your age,” as stated by Lachlan H, one of our student MCs at the closing ceremony.

Ms Kathryn Grainger, our Head of Science and the main driving force behind this major event, shared her reflections at the closing ceremony: “It has been wonderful to talk about science teaching with my colleagues from across Australia and internationally. We discussed planning for science fairs and shared ideas, which was a fantastic opportunity. In addition, seeing this next generation of scientists coming through from different parts of Australia and Japan left me feeling very heartened about the future.”

Last but not least, a huge thank you to the incredible team behind this event. Without their hard work and support, we could never have pulled this off during such a busy time of year. And to our teachers and student buddies who generously gave their time to make our delegates feel welcome and at home.

See you all at our next Science Fair!