23 September 2025
The Makers Empire WA Kids in Space program brought together bright young minds at our College gym last week, with nine schools from across the state showcasing creative student projects. More than 100 students, teachers, and family members attended the event, coordinated with the support of the Western Australian Space Science Education Centre (WASSEC) and staff at Joseph Banks Secondary College.
A special thank you to our Principal Liz Smith for opening the event and our wonderful students John Blurton and Neville Jones for doing our Welcome to Country!
Congratulations to St Joseph’s School Waroona, who took out the Showcase Winner and will now travel to Adelaide to present their winning ideas on a national stage. And well done to Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School in Rockingham for being nominated the Peer Prize.
We were honoured to welcome WA Minister for Education Sabine Winton, who personally congratulated participants and encouraged students to continue exploring STEM pathways and space-related careers.
Adding to the excitement, ABC Perth Radio’s roving reporter Kate Leaver visited Joseph Banks Secondary College and its high-tech, “out of this world” Space Science Education Centre to share the story on Mornings with Nadia Mitsopoulos. 
[Listen to the segment at 1:52.00 here].
Now in its third year, the Kids in Space initiative—delivered by the Andy Thomas Space Foundation with support from the Australian Space Agency, Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, Fogarty Foundation, KBR and Makers Empire—continues to:
Engage primary students in hands-on STEM Showcase real-world space industry pathways Inspire curiosity and innovation in the next generation
All the things we are passionate about! Djinda-k weyan – Reach for the Stars! 
A special thank you to the following schools for allowing us to share student photos from the event:
Mercy College, Oakwood Primary School, Medina Primary School, St Joseph’s School – Waroona, Ashfield Primary School, Gwynne Park Primary School, Goldfields Baptist College, and Star of the Sea Primary School – Rockingham.
