CREST: how it works

Register your school or science club for CREativity in Science and Technology (CREST).

• 17 May 2006 | Updated 14 October 2011

• About CREST
• CREST in the classroom 
• CREST registration 
• CREST support material
  

About CREST

CSIRO's CREativity in Science and Technology (CREST) Awards program encourages and supports students to choose, organise and undertake their own open-ended science or technology project.

CREST is not a competition but a program which focusses on the individual and encourages success and the development of skills as students pursue a topic of interest to them. It is for all students and so can be offered to the whole class as part of the curriculum.

CREST students are encouraged to:

• be creative
• apply their knowledge and skills
• persevere with their project until they have completed it. 

A range of support material is available to help introduce and support open-ended work into your classroom.

Two CREST programs are available.

Introductory CREST  (recommended for primary students), leads students through a series of three CREST Awards:

• the structured Green Award
• the less structured Orange Award
• the student-initiated open-ended Blue Award.

As students work through these Awards they become more self-reliant and self-confident.

Advanced CREST (recommended for secondary students) enables students to develop their own projects, in either science or technology fields. There are three Awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The difference between these Awards is a matter of:

• time
• complexity of task
• scientific and technological ability
• sheer perseverance on the part of the participants.

CREST in the classroom

CREST can be offered to the whole class and can easily form an integral part of the science and technology curricula, making it an invaluable program in the classroom.

CREST can be incorporated in the school:

• in mainstream classes
• during time dedicated to science and/or technology as a class project
• as a project for assessment
• to complement or extend existing activities
• as an entry for a competition or science fair
• as part of a gifted and talented program or an extra-curricula science or technology club.

Students can work towards CREST Awards at any time as there is no deadline. How long students take to complete their Awards is up to the individual teachers and students.

CREST registration

To operate the CREST program in your school, you must register your school with the CREST office. Once registered, you will be sent a CREST registration pack containing project material and ideas, as well as regular updates about the program. Once registered, any student from your school can take part in CREST. 

For some Awards there is an individual student cost. This is to cover the extra material sent to each participating student to assist them in carrying out their open-ended project.

CREST support material

When you register your school for CREST and submit your student applications, you will be sent support materials for teachers and students.

Teacher support material includes:

• teacher handbooks
• project planners
• sample student handbooks
• profile cards and certificates
• Silver and Gold proposal forms (secondary schools only)
• the most recent CRESTNews newsletter.

Student support materials include a student handbook and individual profile cards to help monitor progress.

Students and teachers can also access the CREST Quiz and see examples of past CREST project topics online.

Start the quiz!

From time to time CREST teacher professional development workshops may be available in your area. Registered CREST schools and schools in the local area are notified when these are available.

Personal advice and support from the National CREST Office is also available for all CREST schools.

Find about about CREST registration.