Brisbane Grammar School’s new $70 million STEAM Precinct – open in early 2023 – will provide a world class facility to equip students with skills for the future.
The acronym STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics – refers not just to these disciplines but to the sharing of ideas across science subjects, the arts and humanities.
Headmaster Anthony Micallef said the creative environment would inspire boys and teach them to tackle real-world problems across diverse disciplines. “With industry leaders demanding graduates skilled in critical and creative thinking, now is the time to invest boldly in infrastructure that will foster future innovators and problem solvers,” he said.
QUT Professor and BGS Old Boy Michael Milford ’98, an expert in artificial intelligence and robotics, agrees. “I think blending the traditional sciences and the arts is absolutely critical. They were once seen as separate areas, but we now realise there’s a common theme of creativity and inspiration running through them. Merging them together makes eminent sense,” he said.
“When you already have great students and great teachers, having an amazing physical location to inspire, to learn and to nurture the future careers of our next generation of scientists is the missing piece of the puzzle.”
Given the rapid emergence of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, DNA mapping, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology, graduates need both the technical and social skills the STEAM Precinct will promote.
“The leaders of the future will need to collaborate and communicate and think critically and creatively,” Micallef said. “It is these skills that will enable our graduates to adapt to the changing professional landscape and prepare them for jobs that don’t yet exist.”
Educators now recognise content knowledge, while important, is not enough. Creative collaboration through inquiry, lateral thinking and communication enhances the traditional STEM subjects.
The STEAM Precinct – open in 2023 – will help educate Australia’s future leaders, who will in turn work to improve the lives of those within their communities and solve some of the world’s most complex challenges.