The FizzicsEd Podcast

How do we prepare the next generation to navigate the rapidly changing world of transport, from e-mobility to autonomous vehicles? Today we speak with Kristine Luszczynski, Senior Manager of Community and Education at the NRMA, to find out how they are driving STEM education and road safety across Australian schools! We dive into how students can think like entrepreneurs to solve real-world transit problems, the critical new safety challenges facing teens today, and how schools can access free, curriculum-linked incursions and virtual programs.Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About Kristine Luszczynski Kristine is the Senior Manager of Community and Education at the NRMA, where she leads the design and delivery of impactful educational initiatives that reach hundreds of thousands of children. With a deep commitment to community well-being, Kristine and her team focus on equipping young people—from early learners to graduating high schoolers—with the critical thinking skills and safety knowledge they need to navigate the future of transport confidently and responsibly. About NRMA Education Programs The NRMA believes every child deserves the knowledge to travel safely. Their road safety and STEM programs support students from early childhood through to their teenage years, bridging the gap between practical life skills and modern curriculum outcomes. https://www.mynrma.com.au/about/community/education Spotlight: The NRMA Future of Transport Challenge The NRMA Future of Transport Challenge encourages young people to follow their natural curiosity to solve real-world transit issues by innovating and thinking like entrepreneurs. Designed for students in years 5–10 (Stages 3, 4, and 5) working in groups of 2–5, the challenge guides participants through a unique 4-step process: Deep DiveExplore the real-world transport issues faced by Australian cities as well as regional and rural areas. DesignIdentify a specific need and apply human-centred design to create a solution product or service. PitchThink like an entrepreneur to create and deliver a product pitch to a panel of experts. EducateExcite and inspire an audience of their peers with their innovation. Find out more and get your students involved: https://nrmafuturetransport.com.au/ Explore more of NRMA's School Programs Science and Road Safety Incursion (Primary)A free program collaborating with Fizzics Education, delivered to schools across Sydney, the ACT, and regional NSW. Since 2014, it has visited over 800 schools and educated over 450,000 children. Free Movers (Years 7–8)An online program helping Stage 4 students manage independent travel, peer influence, and modern challenges like e-mobility (e-bikes, e-scooters), smartphone distraction, and lithium-ion battery safety. Young Driver (Years 9–12)A virtual program featuring six 20-minute units covering critical topics like the "Fatal Five," learning to drive, and buying a safe first car—complete with interactive video content and school quizzes. Early Years ResourcesPractical online materials to support early childhood safety education. Access Resources & Learn More Discover the NRMA's complete range of online road safety modules, curriculum-mapped activities, and early childhood resources. https://www.mynrma.com.au/about/community/education Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn about AVISTA - AROSE’s Virtual and In-person STEM Training and Awareness Program, which will visit over 200 high schools across Australia face-to-face as well as digitally through STEM challenges to help students learn more about STEM career pathways into the Australian defence industries. We speak with Holly Kershaw, STEM Program Manager at AROSE to learn more. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About AVISTA Supported by the Department of Defence’s School Pathways Program, AVISTA will deliver a range of exciting learning experiences to students, their teachers and families throughout 2025, to help develop Australia’s STEM talent pipeline by providing direct insights into defence industry career pathways. AVISTA is an initiative of AROSE, delivered in partnership with Fizzics Education, Gilmour Space Technologies, Gunggandji Aerospace, IlluminateFNQ, Joseph Banks Secondary College, Nova Systems, and the University of Western Australia Defence and Security Institute. Learn morehttps://avista.org.au/ About AROSE Australian Remote Operations for Space and Earth (AROSE) is a leading, industry-led, not-for-profit organisation that stands at the forefront of knowledge and technology transfer between Australia’s traditional industry sectors and the burgeoning international space sector. AROSE brings these sectors together to collaborate on targeted, industry-led projects with Australia’s world-leading Remote Operations expertise at their core. Learn morehttps://www.arose.org.au/ About Holly Kershaw Holly Kershaw is an experienced program leader skilled in strategic planning, operational management, and team leadership. She excels at scaling operations and managing large program transitions under tight deadlines. She has led STEM initiatives engaging up to 300,000 students annually and produced events attracting tens of thousands. Her experience includes roles at AROSE, Arludo, Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Fizzics Education and the University of Sydney. Holly also co-founded TEDxParramatta, emphasizing strategic partnerships and community-focused events.Learn morehttps://www.linkedin.com/in/hollykershaw/ Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jonathan Nalder, known as ‘the Edunaut,’ has spent 20+ years pioneering hands-on, problem-based learning with cutting-edge digital tools—STEM, AR/VR, AI, and environmental sensors. Drawing on his Drama Teacher background, he infuses learning with props, role play, and futures thinking. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About Jonathan Nalder Jonathan Nalder, known as ‘the Edunaut,’ has spent 20+ years pioneering hands-on, problem-based learning with cutting-edge digital tools—STEM, AR/VR, AI, and environmental sensors—while keeping the human element at the core of education. Drawing on his Drama Teacher background, he combines learning with props, role play, and futures thinking. A globally awarded innovator, Mars Society Ambassador, and World Teacher of the Year, Jonathan empowers educators to navigate the new space and digital era. His latest project, First Kids in Space, invites young dreamers to contribute their visions for space travel. Learn more at firstkidsinspace.info. Or if you are older and want to relax to stunning air travel or space exploration videos, subscribe at YouTube.com/@lofiairspace Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )http://www.aeon.net.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Discover how gamification can transform your classroom! Join us as we explore proven strategies with Valary Oleinik, a learning experience alchemist who specializes in using games to simplify complex topics, spark curiosity, and keep students engaged. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About Valary Oleinik Valary Oleinik is a learning strategist, keynote speaker, and workshop facilitator known for her innovative and engaging approach to education. With a unique blend of creativity, technology, and gameful experiences, she helps individuals and organizations design more effective and memorable learning journeys. Her passion for learning stems from an innate curiosity—one she believes is contagious. Embracing her identity as Valary with a WHY, she inspires others to question traditional methods and explore new possibilities in education. Her expertise lies in translating complex concepts into simple, actionable strategies, making her a sought-after voice in the world of learning and development. Valary serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA), where she contributes to shaping the future of distance education. With over two decades of experience in instructional design, facilitation, and project management, she continues to push the boundaries of engagement, helping educators and learners alike thrive in an ever-evolving digital landscape. When not crafting dynamic learning experiences, Valary is assisted by her cat and bunny—who may not be great at typing but excel at shredding paper. Find out more https://www.valarywithawhy.com/ Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )http://www.aeon.net.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

STEM MAD is designed to acknowledge and promote STEM learning initiatives that address real-world problems and demonstrate how students in Catholic schools take action that matters. Student teams are invited to design a product, service or innovation to Make A Difference (MAD) to others or the environment. We talk with Shelley Waldon – Science & STEM Lead, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools who initiated this program in 2018. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About STEM MAD The mission of STEM MAD is clear: Celebrate students taking action that makes a difference Showcase deep learning Engage schools in effective STEM-based multidisciplinary inquires Promote high-quality STEM education for future-focused learning Contextualise STEM in the core curriculum Enact Social Justice for the Common Good What began in 2018 in Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) has now spread across Australian diocese schools. Find out more Catholic Network Australia STEM MAD site https://www.cna.catholic.edu.au/stem-mad-national Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools STEM MAD sitehttps://sites.google.com/vic.catholic.edu.au/stemmad/home About Shelley Waldon Shelley started her career as a geochemist, working in the mining industry for 4 years with BHP and for the Victorian government as an Environmental Scientist for 6 years. After this she undertook postgraduate teaching qualifications to work in both the primary and secondary sectors. Have worked in Catholic education in Melbourne for 25 years in a variety of roles and educational settings. These include classroom teaching, specialist teaching, curriculum leader and Catholic placed teacher in extension education at Zoos Victoria. Also extended post-graduate learning with a Master of Education, Graduate Certificates in Assessment and STEM Education and additional qualifications in business management, leadership and risk management. Within Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, major responsibilities have been supporting schools and working with teachers to devise and develop resources and professional learning opportunities that enhance science learning across the curriculum. In collaboration with our teachers, cultural organisations and expert providers, we develop learning opportunities and partnerships that improve teachers' core content knowledge in science, whilst developing pedagogical models that improve understanding by enabling the application of scientific conceptual knowledge in the context of multidisciplinary projects. Acted as Primary Investigator for MACS in a 4-year ARC Linkage Research Project (with Monash Uni, BCE, and UQ) researching problem-based learning through STEM education. Using problems as the drivers for student engagement and motivation with the curriculum and exploring teachers' attitudes, beliefs and pedagogical practices as they participated as co-researchers. In 2018 initiated STEM MAD, which has become a flagship program in Melbourne and a national program in dioceses across Australia, and continues to demonstrate scientific learning, where students use STEM projects to Make a Difference (MAD) to others and the environment. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )http://www.aeon.net.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Imagine hosting a running event for over 40,000 athletes and making it sustainable? That's exactly what the TCS Sydney Marathon goIT Challenge was designed to do where students from across NSW were challenged to create innovative solutions for the TCS Sydney Marathon through a design thinking process. We speak with Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at TCS, Binaisha Daruwalla as well as Nikyetta Pencheff from the STEM Enrichment team of the NSW Department of Education as well as Grade 5 student Annabelle and Flynn from Lindfield Public School. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About the TCS Sydney Marathon goIT Challenge With a growing number of athletes and spectators participating in the TCS Sydney Marathon from around the globe and across Australia, school-aged students were challenged to develop a creative solution to ensure that the TCS Sydney Marathon is one of the most environmentally sustainable events of its kind in the world. Run in collaboration with the NSW Department of Education, students collaborated in teams to complete a four-week design sprint. The end result was a three-minute video pitch showcasing how the solution will help make the TCS Sydney Marathon a model of sustainability. Learn more https://sydneymarathon.com/tcs-goit-challenge/ https://tcsempowers.tcsapps.com/apac/goit-main/monthly-challenge https://tcsempowers.tcsapps.com/apac/goIT About the STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) Program The STEM Industry School Partnerships (SISP) program is an initiative of the NSW Department of Education’s Curriculum and Reform Directorate and is led by the STEM Enrichment team. Through the collaboration of education with leading Australian companies, universities, government agencies and industry, the STEM Industry School Partnerships program provides an educational model that engages students, inspires them to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and prepares them for STEM-enabled careers. The program aims to improve teacher confidence and their capacity to deliver integrated and cross-curricula STEM education programs in rural, remote, and regional NSW. Learn more https://sispprogram.schools.nsw.gov.au/ Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )http://www.aeon.net.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Ocean Lovers Festival is Australia’s largest annual cultural and science celebration for the ocean. Hear from founder Anita Kolni as we discuss the education oportunuities available through the pitching contest Shark Tank as well as Litterarty and the Sea Science Student Expo. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About the Ocean Lovers Festival The Ocean Lovers Festival taps into Australians love of their ocean lifestyle with the largest dedicated ocean science and cultural celebration in Australia. Through a festival of Ideas, Art + Music and Actions, the Ocean Lovers Fesitval inspire and engage the community on ocean issues and provide hope by showcasing solutions and innovation that are improving the health of the ocean. The festival has hosted hundreds of expert speakers, artists, innovators, ocean pioneers, and champions. It showcases successful marine projects that restore coastal ecology, highlights ocean- innovating entrepreneurs, and provides a platform for government initiatives, marine scientists, and community groups to inspire and empower audiences to better protect the ocean. https://www.oceanloversfestival.com/ About Anita Kolni Anita Kolni is a passionate changemaker, communicator, and connector. She is the Founder of the Ocean Lovers Festival, an annual celebration of ideas, art, music, and actions showcasing the latest innovations, science, state-of-the-art technology, and cool ideas for helping the ocean.Anita successfully staged the first Ocean Lovers Festival in April 2019 at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach. In a short time, it hasg rown into Australia’s largest annualcultural and science celebration for the ocean, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and achieving a digital media reach of over 34 million. Anita is rapidly gaining recognition as a global connector in the ocean sector for her innovative approach of bringing inspiration and hope for the ocean and engaging audiences to accelerate change that positively impacts our blue planet. She championed the Sydney Coast Hope Spot at the inaugural Ocean Lovers Festival with the support of Mission Blue and the Sylvia Earle Alliance, recognizing Sydney’s cherished coastline on the international stage.Anita's ocean passion stems from her Swedish Olympic sailing father and uncle and her own love of all things beach and ocean. She has worked on major events like the Grand Prix and ATP Tennis Tournament in Europe before settling back in Bondi with her family of four children, inspiring her to create the festival and do her part in protecting the ocean for their future. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )http://www.aeon.net.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Food security - it's important! So is teaching students to be self-sufficient on how to grow their own nutritious food. Today we hang out with Food Ladder's founding CEO Kelly McJannett to learn how Food Ladder is addressing food security in remote and Indigenous communities. Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education About Food Ladder Food Ladder grew from a kernel of an idea by founders Alex Shead and Kelly McJannett. Alex was determined to use business to create social change. As a social change specialist, Kelly saw kids struggling to concentrate in class because they were hungry and understood the macro impact of food security. By joining forces, they found a way to combine agricultural technology and teaching systems to create lasting social change. From the first greenhouse installation, both realised this was a powerful way to reframe food choices for the next generation. About Kelly McJannett Kelly McJannett is founding CEO of award-winning non-profit Food Ladder which addresses food security in remote and Indigenous communities as well as education, health and economic participation with a holistic focus on wellbeing. An experienced leader in multidisciplinary approaches to social change, Kelly has pioneered scalable place-based agritech solutions which address immediate human needs, support environmental outcomes and ready vulnerable communities for worsening conditions resulting from climate change. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Communications (UTS) and an MBA (The University of Sydney Business School) where she was awarded Social Justice and Community Leadership Scholarship. Accolades include Sydney University Dean’s Prize and Leadership Excellence Award as well as named Australia’s 100 most Influential Women by Australian Financial Review. Kelly is a member of the Board of Advice for The University of Sydney Business School. Find out more https://foodladder.org/ Hosted by Ben Newsome from Fizzics Education With interviews with leading science educators and STEM thought leaders, this science education podcast is about highlighting different ways of teaching kids within and beyond the classroom. It's not just about educational practice & pedagogy, it's about inspiring new ideas & challenging conventions of how students can learn about their world! https://www.fizzicseducation.com.au/ Know an educator who'd love this STEM podcast episode? Share it!The FizzicsEd podcast is a member of the Australian Educators Online Network (AEON )http://www.aeon.net.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.