A hands-on engineering challenge for Years 8 and 9
Hosted by Transurban at the St Peters Motorway Control Centre, STEM-Sell is a low-stakes team competition where students tackle an authentic engineering challenge.
Teams of three students from each school work together to apply mathematics, science and engineering thinking in a practical, engaging environment.
What is STEM-Sell?
In the morning session, guest engineers lead a discussion about what engineering is, the exciting opportunities it offers, and the discipline that forms the basis of the day’s challenge.
Students also inspect the host sponsor’s facilities and gain insight into the work undertaken at the site.
The program is designed to give students a practical and memorable introduction to engineering in a real-world context.
Why it works
STEM-Sell combines teamwork, creativity and problem-solving in a supportive competition format.
The challenge is hands-on and requires students to use mathematics and science knowledge to solve a reasonably complex problem in a short timeframe.
It is ideal for students who enjoy practical learning and want to see how engineering concepts connect to real workplaces.
What do you do at a STEM-Sell?
- Teams of three participate in team-building activities.
- TELG staff and engineers introduce the engineering discipline and the relevant mathematics, science and engineering principles.
- The project is presented, materials are examined, and the challenge is identified.
- Teams design, construct and test their solutions.
- The winning team is announced and prizes are presented.
- Students take part in final questions and discussion with engineers about what they learned during the day.
- Lunch and morning tea are provided.
Program Gallery
Learning Beyond the Challenge
Over lunch, students have the opportunity to speak informally with engineers about career pathways, opportunities in the profession, what engineers enjoy about their work, and what day-to-day engineering life looks like.
These conversations help students connect the challenge to real future possibilities in STEM and engineering.
2025 Project
Wednesday 2 July 2025
If oversubscribed, a second day will be offered on Tuesday 1 July 2025.
Location:
WestConnex Motorway Control Centre
33 Burrows Road, St Peters
Time: 9.30 am to 2.15 pm
Want more information?
Use the form below if you would like to learn more about STEM-Sell.