CREST for students

[Music plays and a split circle appears and photos flash through of different CSIRO activities in either half of the circle and then the circle morphs into the CSIRO logo]

[Image changes to show three photos showing students at work, two teachers smiling at the camera, and two students at work and text appears above: Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) Teachers and Mentors]

[Image changes to show a profile and then facing view of Garlok Lu talking to the camera and text appears: Garlok Lu, Year level – 12, CREST level – Silver and Gold]

Garlok Lu: The CREST programme has given me an insight into what research in science is actually like.

[Image changes to show Shareefa Issa smiling at the camera and then the image changes to show Shareefa talking to the camera and text appears: Shareefa Issa, Year level – 12, CREST level – Silver and Gold]

Shareefa Issa: The CREST gave me an opportunity to do my own independent research and I really enjoyed that

[Images move through of a close view of pages of a notebook being turned, water being poured into a container on an experiment, and Shareefa talking to the camera]

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.

[Images move through to show George Tian smiling, and then a profile and then facing view of George talking and text appears: George Tian, Year level: Alumnus (Graduate of 2019), CREST level – Silver and Gold]

George Tian: The CREST programme led me to go from purely learning about science to applying it

[Images move through of a female student working on a laptop in a lab, a close view of a female student’s face as she works on a laptop, and then George talking to the camera]

because the projects are, they’re very self-led, and we’re free to investigate what we want and that has greatly increased my interest in STEM.

[Images move through of Garlok putting on his glasses, Garlok at work in the lab, a close view of Garlok syringing liquid from a test tube, and Garlok looking at liquid in a conical flask]

Garlok Lu: Technology, engineering and science is all developing really rapidly now so I think that understanding STEM and learning it now is very important for not only my education but also my future career.

[Images move through of Ella Harries smiling at the camera, and then talking to the camera and text appears: Ella Harries, Year level – 10, CREST level - Gold]

Ella Harries: It’s such a great way to get real life experience in science.

[Images move through of Gihansa Vidhanelage smiling, and then a profile and then facing view of Gihansa talking to the camera and text appears: Gihansa Vidhanelage]

Gihansa Vidhaneladge: A lot of students our age don’t get the opportunity to have laboratory skills like we get to with CREST. And with the help of our external mentors those skills have been greatly improved and have given us a great advantage going into university to do that research.

[Images move through of Thomas Konarski smiling, a close view of a hand holding something down, and then Thomas talking to the camera and text appears: Thomas Konarski, Year level – 10, CREST level – Gold]

Thomas Konarski: I’ve found it really important and really beneficial to have a mentor this year. I’d be doing a lot of things by trial and error without his help.

[Image changes to show Abbey Curran talking to the camera and text appears: Abbey Curran, Year level – 12, CREST level – Gold]

Abbey Curran: I really enjoyed working with my mentor on my gold CREST project.

[Images move through of a side view of Abbey looking down, a facing and then rear view of Abbey and her mentor walking down a corridor, and a close view of plants in a petri dish]

She’s helped me with my research skills and come up with a fab science investigation.

[Images move through of Abbey looking through a microscope, Abbey and her mentor at the microscope, Abbey and her mentor in conversation, and a hand operating a piece of equipment]

Garlok Lu: Working with a mentor was really helpful because whenever I was stuck I knew that there was someone I could turn to and my mentor also asked some of his colleagues for advice when he was unsure.

[Image changes to show a close view of plants under the microscope slide displayed on a computer screen, and then the image changes to show Garlok talking to the camera]

So, I knew that I was getting a triangulation of opinions.

[Images move through of Breana O’Toole smiling at the camera, and then talking to the camera and text appears: Breana O’Toole, Year level – 11, CREST level – Gold]

Breana O’Toole: I love just seeing a different level of research and being exposed to so many new fields of science.

[Images move through to show a Low Voltage Power Supply unit, and then Thomas working on the unit]

Thomas Konarski: It felt like I was doing a real piece of research, not just a project at school.

[Images move through of Thomas working with his experiment, a close view of a drone on a weight scale, close views of Thomas working on his experiment, and Thomas talking to the camera]

It’s made me go further. It’s opened my eyes to a different path that there’s more than just the mainstream. I can go off and specialise. I can look further and deeper into different subjects.

[Images move through of Sarah Nutt smiling, and then talking to the camera and text appears: Sarah Nutt, Year level – 12, CREST level – Gold]

Sarah Nutt: You learn so many things you can just take away to the class,

[Images move through of Sarah pointing to her building type project, a close profile view of Sarah looking down, Sarah placing wires in a tray, and Sarah working on her project]

like for this like I’ve got a lot of experience in learning practical and it’s just helped in so many subjects, not even science, for English for example.

[Images move through of close view of Sarah working on her project, Shareefa talking to the camera, Shareefa and a fellow student in conversation, and a female student looking at a computer]

Shareefa Issa: 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.

[Images move through of Breana talking to the camera, a close view of a plant in a petri dish, and the petri dish being placed on a pile of petri dishes]

Breana O’Toole: For me looking into STEM research would be really cool. So, working in the biology labs has given me a lot of insight into what research at university looks like.

[Image changes to show Sarah talking to the camera, and then images move through of a close view of Sarah’s project, and then Sarah working on her project]

Sarah Nutt: By completing this project it’s really motivated me to learn more about engineering.

[Image changes to show a profile and then facing view of Gihansa talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show a close view of pages of a notebook being turned]

Gihansa Vidhaneladge: I really want to now go into medical research and my extended essay gives me a pathway to do that.

[Images move through to show George pouring black granules into a funnel, and then the image changes to show George talking to the camera]

George Tian: The part of CREST that stuck with me is the investigation, the critical thinking skills that you’ll be able to apply regardless of what degree you will be doing.

[Image changes to show a facing and then profile view of Breana talking to the camera, and then the image changes to show Ella Harries working on a laptop]

Breana O’Toole: Involvement in this CREST programme has really given me inspiration into careers that I might look into in the future and where I might go with my career.

[Images move through of Ella’s hands typing on a laptop keyboard, a digital image on the laptop screen, and a close profile view of Ella looking down and talking]

Ella Harries: It’s given me hands on, real life experience which has made me realise that this is something I think I want to do after school.

[Images move through of Garlok looking at blue liquid in a conical flask, and then a row of conical flasks on a lab bench]

Garlok Lu: One piece of advice that I would give to other students when signing up for CREST is just enjoy yourself. It is labour intensive but it’s really worth it.

[Image changes to show Garlok talking to the camera]

So, if you’re going to do something, make sure you enjoy it.

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