Future Makers STEM Inventors Challenge

2026 INFORMATION IS COMING SOON

Email futuremakers@qm.qld.gov.au to express your interest

Read about Past Winners — Gladstone Region

Read about Past Winners — Western Downs 

STEM Inventors Challenge 2025 Information

Download the brochure
Download the Teacher Manual

The 2025 Future Makers STEM Inventors Challenge is open to Years 5 to 10 students in the Gladstone and Western Downs Region. Participation is free.

Working in groups of 2–4, students in Years 5–10 will have 10 weeks (including school holidays) to explore amazing engineering feats which have changed the local community and the world. Their task is to generate, define, design, refine and produce an EPIC Engineering prototype and exhibit, to submit to a panel of judges at World Science Festival Queensland in either Chinchilla or Gladstone. 

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

• 10 Weeks of hands-on activities (including school holidays). Activities are curriculum-aligned to Years 5-10 Technologies with links to Science and HASS, and highlighting Queensland Museum stories, research and collections
• Student activity booklet for each participating student
• A tri-fold tabletop display board will be supplied to each student team
• Teaching manual with curriculum links and criteria sheet
• Mentorship opportunities with Queensland engineers, designers and scientists
• Exclusive showcase space for each student team at World Science Festival Queensland. Winners will be announced on stage
• All participating teachers will be invited to the World Science Festival Queensland V.I.P event

PRIZES:

• The winning school will receive a prize (TBA), as well as Future Makers teaching resources and Queensland Museum publications
• Winning students will each receive a trophy, certificate and large STEM prize packs as well as an invitation to the World Science Festival Queensland V.I.P event
• Highly Commended and Commended students will each receive certificates and small STEM prize packs
•  All participating students will receive a certificate

Registrations for Home Education students are encouraged. 

< Discover more about Future Makers  initiatives, education resources and teacher workshops