Our mission
Preparing Australian students for the future
Facilitated by the ACER Foundation, the charitable arm of the Australian Council for Educational Research, the ongoing mission of the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is to help engage Australian students with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines in a new and exciting way, and to facilitate inquiry-based learning that inspires and prepares the next generation of Australian students for the future.
We believe that by developing and encouraging STEM-related skills through the enjoyable and intrinsically fun medium of interactive game development, The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is working to alter student perception of STEM subject areas, and helping to create a renewed commitment to STEM-related disciplines amongst Australian students.
In addition to our commitment to enhancing STEM learning, the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is supportive of the philanthropic goals of the ACER Foundation and shares its charter to address the needs of educationally disadvantaged groups.
Specifically, the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge seeks to address the disparity between the representation of male and female students in STEM-related fields.
By inspiring, empowering and resourcing schools, teachers, parents and students, the Australian STEM Video Game Challenge is working to equip the next generation of Australians for the future, preparing them to innovate, create and adapt to a rapidly changing world.
Why STEM?
STEM is a representative acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. These fields of study and innovation are becoming increasingly vital to the world economy, and represent some of the most critical disciplines required for businesses to succeed in the modern world.
While the need for expertise in STEM-related fields and disciplines is growing, the number of Australian primary and secondary school students studying to embark on careers in these areas has been steadily declining, creating a skills shortage between workforce demand and the talent available here in Australia.
There is a need to find new ways of encouraging students to engage, enjoy and develop capabilities in science, technology and mathematics during their school years, and to expose them to STEM-related disciplines in creative and exciting ways.
The Australian STEM Video Game Challenge was established by the Australian Council for Educational Research as a response to this need. We hope that by inviting students to use technology creatively, encouraging them to experiment and solve problems and to combine imagination with innovation, we can inspire a genuine interest in further study, and ultimately successful careers, in STEM fields among the next generation of Australians.