Blog icon

About the program

CREST is a national program that supports teachers to deliver non-competitive awards in their school for Year K-12 students.

Through CREST, students undertake their own open-ended research in STEM. It has six award levels which are competency based. These range from structured to open activities to advanced, self-guided projects.

Educators can access Professional Development opportunities as well as support materials, activities, curriculum links, and rubrics to administer the program.

[Music plays and a split circle appears on the screen and symbols of the various CSIRO activities flash through on either side of the circle and then the circle morphs into the CSIRO logo]

[Image shows the CSIRO logo morphing into an orange circle with the text “CREST” in the centre]

Narrator: CREST is CSIRO’s Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology Programme.

[Animation image shows the circle changing into an eye and then the animation image shows a magnifying glass appearing over the eye and then the camera zooms out to show a male looking through the glass]

It is a national non-competitive awards programme focussing on student enquiry and curiosity.

[Animation image shows the magnifying glass disappearing, and then the image moves to the left to show a second and then third student, and then the image changes to show the word STEM]

Based on enquiry learning, CREST is a student centred programme that engages students from K to 12 by enabling them to seek out and investigate topics of interest in the STEM fields.

[Animation image shows the letters moving around an orange circle with text “CREST” in the centre, and the animation image shows a student looking at it]

CREST provides a framework to support teachers as they guide students through the enquiry continuum as they move towards open enquiry.

[Animation image shows the student disappearing and then the orange circle rotating and changing colours through green, orange, blue, bronze, silver, and gold]

CREST awards are presented in six levels, green, orange, blue, bronze, silver, and gold.

[Animation image shows the gold circle becoming a medallion around the neck of a student and then the image moves left to show numerous students holding up rewards cards and wearing medallions]

Assessed on a competency basis, every student that demonstrates they have met an awards requirements will receive that award.

[Animation image shows a student looking at a gold medallion and then the letters “STEM” linking by white lines to the medallion]

CREST links STEM enquiries and projects to the Australian curriculum, incorporating science enquiry skills and processes and production skills.

[Animation image changes to show symbols of planets, binoculars, a microscope, a petri dish, a beetle, a drone, tweezers, and a telescope and students can be seen working on the equipment]

It provides meaningful context for students to develop, practice and apply their general capabilities, including critical and creative thinking, ethical understanding, personal and social capabilities, and literacy and numeracy skills.

[Animation image changes to show a webpage showing the Introductory level CREST and two students can be seen on the left and text appears on the right: Students – Follow provided instructions, Make limited choices, Interpret results, Teachers – Decide topics, use inquiries from provided CREST materials, Assess inquiries]

In Introductory CREST, students undertake structured investigations and projects following the instructions provided to them before later taking more control over the equipment and procedures they use to undertake their enquiries and projects.

[Animation image changes to show a webpage showing the Intermediate level CREST and a student can be seen on the left and text appears on the right: Students – select their own topics, Conduct background research into their topics, Plan their own investigations and projects from start to finish, Create a detailed logbook tracking their progress]

In Intermediate CREST, students select their own topics for enquiry, and plan their own investigations and projects. Students are responsible for conducting the enquiry or project, and meeting with their teacher regularly for feedback.

[Animation image changes to show a teacher on the left of the webpage, and text appears on the right: Teachers – Act as a guiding hand, Provide feedback to students, Ensure projects are safe and ethical, Assess inquiries]

The teacher’s role at this stage is largely as a guiding hand, providing feedback, and ensuring that the planned investigation or project is safe and ethical.

[Animation image changes to show a webpage showing the Advanced level CREST and a student can be seen on the left, and text appears on the right: Students – Select their own topics, Conduct background research, Plan their own investigations and projects from start to finish, Create a detailed logbook tracking their progress, Demonstrate innovation]

In Advanced CREST, beyond selecting their own topics for enquiry, generating their own question, and determining their materials and methods, students must also demonstrate innovation in their work.

[Animation image changes to show text on the left and the right of the website appearing: Originality, Real-world application]

There are two ways to demonstrate innovation: Originality in enquiry or; Describing a relevant, real-world application for the enquiry’s findings.

[Animation image changes to show silver lines appearing across the words and then the words are highlighted in silver one after the other]

At the silver award level, students must demonstrate one of these criteria.

[Animation image shows both the words covered in gold on the website]

While, for a gold award, both criteria must be met.

[Animation image changes to show the webpage and a mentor can be seen on the left of the webpage and text appears on the right: Mentors – Guide students, Support investigation, Mandatory for Gold Projects, Recommended for Silver Projects]

External mentors are required for gold CREST to guide students, support their investigations and projects, and to advise on the intricacies of their investigation.

[Animation image changes to show a teacher, a mentor and two students surrounded by various pieces of scientific equipment linked by lines to a gold circle with the word “CREST” inside]

CREST is an exciting, structured way to introduce your students to enquiry learning, or giving them the tools they need to investigate the world,

[Image changes to show text on a white screen: www.csiro.au/Education/Programs/CREST, This project received grant funding from the Australian Government under the inspiring Australia Science Engagement Programme]

building the skills needed for lifelong learning.

[Music plays and the image changes to show the CSIRO logo and text appears: CSIRO, Australia’s National Science Agency]

 

 

 

Share & embed this video

Link

https://vimeo.com/577899643

Copied!

Embed code

<iframe src="//player.vimeo.com/video/577899643" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Copied!

The opportunity

Educators registered with CREST can access a variety of inquiry activities that are aligned with the Australian Curriculum.

Students can undertake science investigations or technology projects in a STEM subject area. They can work alone or in a team of up to three students.

The awards are assessed on a competency basis. Every student that demonstrates they have met the requirements of an award, will receive that award.

Educators can also access our optional CREST Educator Professional Development e-modules to enhance their ability to deliver inquiry projects in class.

These e-modules are suitable for all primary and secondary teachers and will take approximately 45 mins to complete.

CREST professional learning - Introductory e-module

CREST professional learning - Advanced e-module

Program eligibility

Year K-12 schools and homeschool operations can register for CREST. The initial registration is $55, with yearly fees of $20 for schools every year after (the subsequent fee is waived for homeschool operations).

After completing Green, Orange, Blue or Bronze level awards, students receive a free eCertificate. Blue and Bronze award recipients can purchase an optional medallion for $5.

On completion, Silver award recipients pay a $10 fee for their medallion and eCertificate, while Gold award recipients pay $20.


How to apply

Educators can register their school for CREST online.

Once registration and payment is complete, they can access CREST’s inquiry activities, support materials, and Educator Professional Development modules online.

Program outcomes

“CREST gave me an opportunity to do my own independent research and I really enjoyed that because I thought that was out of my comfort zone and it led me to research something that I don’t think I would have been able to do otherwise.

I was constantly problem solving and thinking critically and these skills can be applied to any aspect of life. And I think that’s what really STEM research is about, problem solving everything.”

– Year 12 student, CREST Silver and Gold Award.

Contact us

Have a question we haven't answered on our site? Fill in our contact form and we'll get back to you promptly.

Contact us

Find out how we can help you and your business. Get in touch using the form below and our experts will get in contact soon!

CSIRO will handle your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and our Privacy Policy.


This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google

Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

First name must be filled in

Surname must be filled in

I am representing *

Please choose an option

Please provide a subject for the enquriy

0 / 100

We'll need to know what you want to contact us about so we can give you an answer

0 / 1900

You shouldn't be able to see this field. Please try again and leave the field blank.