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Mid-term program evaluation

STEM Together is a five-year, multi-faceted program which supports young people in Years 5-10 and their supporters to strengthen their confidence, capability, and connection with Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM).

In 2025, the program underwent an independently verified, mid-term evaluation. It's aim was to assess the progress of STEM Together towards its intended outcomes and impact, measured against key evaluation questions.

A formative developmental evaluation approach was applied using mixed methods, including data from 115 evaluation activities between August 2022 and June 2025, with over 1,000 instances of participation.

Mid-term evaluation: Summary report PDF (1 MB)

Mid-term evaluation: Full report PDF (7 MB)

Program elements and highlights (April 2022 - June 2025)

A series of interconnected program elements to ultimately help young people from underrepresented groups and their supporters strengthen their confidence, capability and connection with STEM.

An infographic depicting the 9 elements of the program categorised by audience in 3 concentric circles.

Supporting Youth is in the centre, featuring the Young Future Shapers & CSIRO Youth Reference Council.

76 Young Future Shapers:

  • Personalised engagement: Virtual events | STEM camps | Resource packs
  • 93% increased awareness of STEM subjects & careers
  • 78% increased confidence studying & working in STEM

CSIRO Youth Reference Council:

  • 8 members advising on real CSIRO projects & “big questions”

The second circle is titled "Building educator & community capability" with the program elements of Educator Professional Learning, Science Educator Reference Group, Local Connection Programs and Adult Future Shapers.

33 Educator Professional Learning events:

  • 1619 attendances
  • 80% increased confidence to apply strategies in class
  • Potential impact: 87k students

10 Local Connection Programs:

  • 95 training & support activities for community & industry
  • 87% increased confidence to apply learnings

10 Science Educator Reference Group:

  • Members advising CSIRO

15 Adult Future Shapers:

  • Equipped & resourced

The last circle is titles "Building ecosystem insights & tools" and highlights the STEM Insights Network, Embedded Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning, Data Analysis Project and Durable Impact project.

STEM Insights Network:

  • Connecting allies to share, measure & improve STEM initiatives
  • 25 organisations joined June 2025 launch

Data Analytics Project:

  • Model to predict STEM pathway impact
  • Project data collection underway
  • Initial insights

Embedded Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning:

  • 88 activities to collect user insights to inform program improvement
  • Aim of continuous improvement

Durable Impact Project:

  • 80 durability indicators identified
  • 6 education programs + CSIRO projects assessed
  • Potential framework for continuous improvement

Under the circles there are key bullet points for Learnings and Opportunities as summarised later in this report.

Learnings:

  • Strengths-based approaches work
  • Critical multipliers: educators, community & industry
  • Culture & ways of working drive success
  • Essential: Evidence-informed practice
  • Plan now for scaling & sustainability

Opportunities:

  • Expand & adapt evaluation-informed impact
  • Continue making evaluation-based improvements
  • Share insights more broadly
  • Collaborate to extend reach
  • Improve access via streamlined models & flexible content

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Learn more about STEM Together and our programs