HoustonKemp Economists
On the 13th of July we travelled to Sydney city with 3 of our scholars to visit the office of HoustonKemp Economists.
HoustonKemp is a new enrichment partner of Harding Miller and were keen to host a small group of students and introduce them to the wide and varied world of economics.
The enrichment day started with a workshop run by two staff members who explained the purpose of their work, how economics can be used to solve diverse and interesting problems and provide data to support clients to make good decisions. We learnt about the cost of supermarket products in New Zealand and the various factors which impact these costs to the consumer and the suppliers.
A highlight of the day was when we joined all the staff for their fortnightly team lunch, where there was a lively discussion about the economics of the energy transition in Australia. After lunch, they also tried their hand at identifying trends in a dataset and creating some very colourful charts with a small group of staff.
The energy, warmth and enthusiasm from the staff created a stimulating enrichment experience for our scholars and certainly changed the perception of economics. Being able to see and learn how economics solves real problems and can be applied in various industries certainly inspired the girls who attended on the day.
Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
On the 30th of June we travelled to the Lucas Heights campus of Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation for an onsite visit to the Lucas Heights Nuclear Reactor and Laboratories with 16 scholars to learn about the work done in various fields of science within the large facility. Scholars were invited to share lunch with a selection of female scientists who all had specialities within physics.
There was a tour of the facility, where we learnt that ANSTO is located on federal land and therefore we were technically leaving NSW. Due to the security requirements and restrictions of the site, we were not allowed any digital or photography devices on our tour.
As we progressed through the facility, we were met along the way by female scientists who gave a brief outline of their work and related their knowledge to real life examples. They were also able to link their knowledge and qualification to relevant aspects of the science curriculum.
The hosted lunch with a small group of woman scientists meant this casual meeting allowed the students to ask questions and chat informally. Each student was presented with a periodic table to take home, as this had been a great discussion tool while having lunch.
The final part of the program for the day was a Q & A panel discussion and the scholar’s gained information about Graduate programs and an insight into university life and degree choices.
The overwhelming feedback was positive and how this was a fantastic learning experience into the complexity of physics and how many various opportunities there are in science, and for woman.
HMEF has now been able to experience two enrichment days with ANSTO, Melbourne and Sydney and we can see the benefit of real-life application for STEM and the study of science.
