Inspiring Future Innovators: 'It Takes a Spark' STEM Conference at The Knox School
On Thursday 23 October, The Knox School proudly hosted the ‘It Takes a Spark’ STEM Conference for the second year, welcoming more than 400 students, teachers, industry and university professionals from around the world.
Created by Dr Adrian Bertolini and Rachel Manneke-Jones from Intuyu Consulting, ‘It Takes a Spark’ aims to ignite curiosity, creativity and confidence in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The conference brings together passionate educators, innovators and students to collaborate, explore ideas and experience what is possible in the ever-evolving world of STEM.
This year’s event featured presenters from Australia, Sweden and New Zealand, who shared their expertise through keynote addresses, problem-solving challenges and interactive workshops.
The day began with an Acknowledgement of Country, followed by a welcome from Principal, Ms Nikki Kirkup, who spoke about the importance of giving young people authentic opportunities to innovate and lead. The morning’s keynote was delivered by Dr Tim Kitchen, Senior Education Specialist at Adobe, who explored how creativity and technology intersect in a Gen AI world. Later in the day, Associate Professor Phoebe Toups Dugas from Monash University’s Exertion Games Lab inspired audiences with her insights into how video games can be designed to make the world a better, more inclusive place.
Adding to the inspiring lineup, Mr Isaac Rule, The Knox School’s Design Futurist of Technology, Digital Innovation and Timetabler, delivered a session on Artificial Intelligence, exploring how AI is reshaping education and the way students learn and create. Ms Liana Gooch, Associate Principal, Head of Learning, Teaching and Innovation, led a session on amplifying student storytelling, co-presented by our very own TKS Flight Deck Podcast students, who shared all aspects of the podcast process to express ideas and connect with audiences.
Across campus, students and teachers participated in more than 30 hands-on workshops and expos covering robotics, coding, dark matter detection, space exploration, engineering design and even science in fashion. Each session challenged traditional thinking and demonstrated how STEM can drive real-world impact.
The theme for this year’s event, “Adapt: Inspire – Shaping the Future,” reminded participants that creativity, curiosity and adaptability are key to solving tomorrow’s challenges. As the conference drew to a close, attendees reflected on the power of collaboration and the spark that ignites when young people are given the freedom to explore, experiment and imagine.
Hosting ‘It Takes a Spark’ for the second time was a proud moment for TKS, celebrating a shared commitment to innovation, exploration and preparing students to lead extraordinary lives.
