Future Makers STEM Inventors Challenge — Gladstone Region
2026 Registrations open soon
Launch:
Term 2, Week 10
Week starting Monday 22 June, 2026
Judging:
Term 3, Week 9
Friday 11 September, 2026
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Gladstone Region |
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| Free |
2026 CHALLENGE INFORMATION COMING SOON
Stay tuned for 2026 challenge information. Email futuremakers@qm.qld.gov.au to express your interest.
Read about past Gladstone Region winners
Mentor Expressions of Interest
We are calling for suitably qualified and available professionals (or retired professionals) in the areas of science, engineering and design to be STEM Mentors for 2026. STEM Mentors commit to participate in three, 30-minute video call sessions with student teams, to assist them in refining their inventive ideas. Expertise in biological sciences is particularly relevant to this year's challenge, however all manner of expertise is deeply valued for this voluntary opportunity with Queensland Museum. In Gladstone they will be weekly between Monday 20 July and Friday 21 August. Email futuremakers@qm.qld.gov.au for more information.
Submit a mentor EOI
STEM Inventors Challenge 2025 Information
The 2025 Future Makers STEM Inventors Challenge — Gladstone Region, is open to Years 5 to 10 students the Gladstone region (see Local Government Area map). Participation is free.
Download the brochure
Download the Teacher Manual
The aim of this design challenge is for student teams of 2–4 to create a comprehensive, well-communicated invention concept to solve real-world problems.
Students are encouraged to think big and use creativity, research and technology to make a basic prototype which demonstrates some of the capabilities or design aspects of the proposed complete invention.
Starting with an online launch webinar in Term 2 Week 10, Queensland Museum facilitators will announce the specific details of the challenge, provide guidance on key criteria and showcase inspiring real inventions.Teachers will be given high quality resources and activities to assist students throughout the design and communication process. Schools will have the option to schedule mentorship sessions with STEM industry experts to help refine their ideas.
The final submission will be at World Science Festival Queensland in Gladstone, where students will display their prototype as a mini museum exhibition. Students will be required to explain and demonstrate how their invention works and meets the criteria. Prizes, trophies and certificates will be publicly presented to the winners on the festival main stage.
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Past Winners — Gladstone Region
The students’ clever design was created to reduce the reliance on air conditioning in the intense Queensland heat. Solar energy pumps recycled water into a hydroponic tower, used to sustainably grow leafy vegetables in the backyard. Their prototype, displayed at World Science Festival Queensland 2025, was activated by shining torchlight onto small solar panels. See a photo of the prototype.
Emily and Annabelle designed their solar-powered robot "Little Rooty" to move through areas infested with the dry rats tail grass — a weed with a fast-spreading seed that kills native plants, impacting local biodiversity. To stop the weed's disastrous spread, the robot design includes technology to identify and seek out the plant. Aided by a lifting mechanism, a rake-like arm and a sharp scissors attachment, the robot would first cut and contain the sticky seeds in an internal box-like chamber, and then scoop up and and contain the entire plant. All collected plant matter would be destroyed in the chamber using microwaves and compacted to save space.
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