Deadly in Generation STEM: Legacy that lies within
Hear about Larni’s journey, from Deadly in Generation STEM program participant to camp leader, and how the program is igniting a passion for culture and STEM in future generations.
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8 September 20256 min read
The Deadly in Generation STEM camps are an immersive student experience on Country that support students to learn more about Indigenous STEM knowledges, strengthen cultural pride and forge connections between their Indigenous identity and Western science taught in school.
If you were to attend the Deadly in Generation STEM camp this year, you would have noticed Larni, a confident, charismatic and intelligent camp leader, engaging and mentoring camp attendees.
What you wouldn’t have seen was the wonderful journey she has been on to arrive in this role. Because just three years ago, Larni was a student herself.
We hear from Larni, her experience, the skills she’s developed, the highlights and her aspirations for the next wave of student participants.
Where it all began
Larni at the Deadly in Generation STEM camp.
Larni Shepherd wasn’t always interested in STEM. She first came across the Deadly in Generation STEM program in 2022 thanks to her teachers and Aboriginal coordinators who thought a different way of learning could be beneficial.
“I didn't attend my science classes very much, I wasn’t focused, I wasn't going to class. So, my teachers got together and recommended the program and as a result, it actually did increase my interest in science,” Larni said.
“Through culture, I could look at all of the science I was taught through a different perspective.”
The journey
Larni has walked the walk, evolving from program participant turned student ambassador through to camp leader today. She talked us through the highlights in each role and the importance of connection.
“As a student, I really enjoyed the connections I made. I made some really good friends that I'm still friends with now, years later. I also loved looking at STEM through the lens of a cultural perspective. This was a big highlight for me, as it never really clicked until then,” said Larni.
“As an ambassador I was still in high school myself, so I was still learning but I loved helping the students to find connections and showing them how I learnt in my experience. I felt like a bit of a mentor rather than somebody telling them what to do and what not to do. More, sharing my experience, and them sharing theirs with me.
“Now as a camp leader, I have been able to develop my leadership skills, continue to develop my science skills and build connections.”
Cultural connection
Larni practicing weaving skills.
Larni highlighted the importance of the camp design and how learning on Country piqued her interest.
“You can always find STEM in culture; you can always find culture in STEM. There is an interweaving of the two and I find that really interesting and magical in a way,” Larni shared.
“I personally learn better in a practical environment. That's how all of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge was passed down for hundreds and thousands of years. I've always learned more on Country than I have in a classroom, you have real-life examples right in front of you."
The outcome
Through her Deadly in Generation STEM experience Larni developed her leadership skills and expanded her knowledge of the world of opportunities available through STEM.
“Through the various roles I have undertaken in the program I learnt that there is pretty much STEM in everything and that everybody learns differently, you just need to find a way to show them. It's not the same for one student as it is the other, it doesn't mean they're not getting the same information. It's just the different way of showing it,” said Larni.
“STEM is everywhere, and I learnt there's going to be mathematical ways of explaining things. There's going to be scientific ways of explaining things. It all kind of links back to the same thing.”
Larni is now studying a Bachelor of Social Work at the University of Wollongong, a field she learnt about thought the Deadly in Generation STEM camp.
“The camp really opened my eyes to the world of STEM, I didn't know that social work or psychology was a science, but it's a social science. That was something I learnt through the program and something that I am doing now,” said Larni.
The legacy and the future
Larni and Deadly in Generation STEM participants learning about caring for Country through environmental science.
Deadly in Generation STEM aims to attract, support and retain more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in STEM educational pathways and careers.
Larni shared what she hoped to see for the future of the program and participants after experiencing the program first hand.
“STEM is written and spoken through Indigenous knowledge, even before we knew the word science; it's embedded into culture. It's embedded into everybody's life. I don't think a lot of students realise how talented and how intelligent they are,” Larni said.
“The program gets the participants' brains thinking, it brings them out of the classroom, into an environment they might thrive in, and I think that’s really important. Every child deserves that.
“Through these camps I hope students get a fresh view of the world and how they perceive the world. I hope that they get educational value out of it, but also just a true joy out of it.
“For the program itself, I hope to see it expand, ideally nationally but at least statewide, because so many students would benefit from this, in cities, regionally, anywhere,” she said.
The Deadly in Generation STEM program evaluations have noted the program's ability to provide safe, culturally grounded environments which help to build relationships and connections and assist with career aspirations through access to STEM professionals and Indigenous role models.
The Deadly in Generation STEM program is part of Generation STEM, a 10-year initiative to build a strong and more diverse STEM pipeline in NSW. Managed by CSIRO, the program is made possible by the NSW Government’s $25 million endowment to the Science and Industry Endowment Fund (SIEF).
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