Frequently Asked Questions

2023 STEM Girl Power Camp - Student Applications

What is the STEM Girl Power Camp?


The study and practice of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is collectively known as STEM. The fifth annual STEM Girl Power Camp is an initiative of Advancing education: An action plan for education in Queensland. It aims to encourage girls to participate in STEM-focused activities and return to school and inspire others to participate in STEM.

In 2023, up to 60 Year 10 girls (Year 9 in 2022) from across Queensland state schools will have the opportunity to participate. Teachers from across Queensland state schools will also be selected to supervise and participate in the camp.

The camp has expanded to a year-long program that includes online guest speaker sessions (Term 1), the camp (Term 2), regional activities for National Science Week (Term 3) and an end-of-year celebration of student activities (Term 4). Students and teachers are expected to participate in all activities during the year




When and where will the STEM Girl Power Camp be held?

The STEM Girl Power Camp will be held from Monday 15 May to Friday 19 May 2023. Year 10 girls from across Queensland will travel to Brisbane for the welcome session on the evening of Monday 15 May 2023.

Students will stay with teachers in supervised share accommodation at the Queensland Conference and Camping Centre (QCCC) located in Brookfield which is approximately 15km out of Brisbane CBD for four nights from Monday 15 May to Thursday 18 May before returning home on Friday 19 May 2023.

Camp activities will take place at a number of locations in Brisbane including and laboratories of universities and research institutions.

How much does it cost and how do students get there?

  • There is no cost to schools or students  to attend the STEM Girl Power Camp. Accommodation and meals will be provided. Camp organisers will coordinate travel arrangements to and from the camp with the parents or guardians of selected students and their school principal.
  • For students living in regional Queensland, travel to Brisbane will be arranged; however, the school, parent or guardian may need to organise part of the student’s travel, for instance to the regional airport or local transit centre.
  • Where a student lives within driving distance of Brisbane, the school and parent or guardian will be required to arrange student travel to the camp and advise the camp organisers.

What if an applicant has additional needs or requirements?

If an applicant is selected by the panel to participate in the camp and requires support, the camp organisers will contact the family, guardian and school to discuss the program and any specific student needs prior to camp. 

How are applicants selected?

A panel of education and STEM professionals will select attendees from regions across Queensland. Selection will be based on assessment of each applicant’s responses. Applications should be submitted through the Entrant Portal by 5.00pm Friday 4 November. Instructions for submitting an application are on the next page.

Important dates and use of personal information:

Applications close at 5.00 pm on Friday 4 November.

Successful applicants will be notified by the end of Term 4 2022.

For further information about the STEM Girl Power Camp please email stem@qed.qld.gov.au or go to the Department’s public STEM hub page:

A student information form is included in the online application process for planning purposes. A student’s parent or guardian will be asked to complete additional permission and consent forms for camp activities if the application is successful. Camp coordinators do not have access to OneSchool and will require a parent or guardian to provide relevant student health information.


Instructions for Applying

All forms can be accessed from the Entrant Portal. Once completed all forms and attachments need to be uploaded onto the Entrant Portal to finalise the application.

  1. The school is to nominate one female student enrolled in Year 9 in 2023 (Year 10 in 2023) to attend the camp. A teacher can register the student’s details and principal contact email through the Entrant Portal.
  2. The student will receive an email inviting them to complete their application through the Entrant Portal. *Check your other email folders if not received in the inbox.
  3. The student completes their online application by responding to these four questions and providing examples to support their application:
      3.1. What interests you about STEM? (maximum 300 words)
      3.2. What role does STEM play in your life? (maximum 300 words)
      3.3. Outline your involvement in activities beyond normal school attendance (clubs, teams, competitions) (maximum 300 words)
      3.4. What is the impact these activities have on your class, school or community. (maximum 300 words)
      - You can upload electronic copies of any documents that support your application (for example, award certificate for a competition, name and date of a local event, media or newsletter items featuring your participation in STEM events).
  4. The principal will receive an email inviting them to endorse and complete the student’s application. The school finalises the student application by:
      4.1. providing (uploading) evidence of the student’s academic achievement (attach a list of the student’s achievement in Year 8 and Semester 1 Year 9 subjects).
      4.2. providing a principal’s endorsement and statement of support for the student’s application to the STEM Girl Power Camp which describes:
      - the student’s engagement and participation in STEM-related activities; and
      - the student’s personal qualities that will support them to be a STEM ambassador. (maximum 300 words)
      4.3. finalising the student’s application in the Entrant Portal.
  5. Upon submission of the completed application, the student and the principal will receive a confirmation email.

2023 STEM Girl Power Camp – Teacher Applications

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) and Instructions for applying

The study and practice of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is collectively known as STEM. The STEM Girl Power Camp is an initiative of Advancing education: An action plan for education in Queensland. The camp aims to encourage girls to participate in STEM by engaging Year 10 girls in a range of exciting STEM experiences. The girls are also invited to be a STEM ambassador at their school and to inspire other students.

The seventh annual STEM Girl Power Camp will be held in Brisbane from 16-19 May 2023. The camp will bring together Year 10 girls from across Queensland who show high achievement in STEM-related subjects at school and an active interest in their school community.

Up to 60 students will be invited to the STEM Girl Power Camp in 2023 from across Queensland’s seven regions. Teachers with a passion for STEM are invited to apply to be regional camp leaders travelling with and supervising students and participating at the camp.

STEM Girl Power initiative – Year long program

The STEM Girl Power Camp has grown into an initiative that is a year-long program that includes online guest speaker sessions (Term 1), the camp (Term 2), regional activities for National Science Week (Term 3) and an end-of-year celebration of student activities (Term 4).

What are the obligations for teacher participants?

Before the STEM Girl Power Camp

Teachers will be required to complete the STEM Girl Power Camp Project Consent Forms as part of your acceptance for attending the camp. The project consent forms will outline the activities planned for the camp. In Term 1 and Term 2 teachers will be invited to attend online sessions to connect with students, the camp team and regional contacts.

In the lead up to camp, you will be required to attend teleconferences providing updates on camp planning and information relevant to students attending from your region.

Teachers will be expected to chaperone a group of students from your region during their travel to camp and may be required to make direct contact with students before travel. You will be provided with any relevant health information for the students in your care.

During the STEM Girl Power Camp

Teachers will supervise the students as they participate in a number of site visits and activities. Teachers will remain with their camp group during this time and provide rostered overnight supervision with other regional teachers while on-site at the accommodation.

Teachers are to chaperone and provide pastoral care for their regional students and report any student issues to the Department’s camp coordinators who will lead the camp.

After the STEM Girl Power Camp

Teachers will be expected to chaperone a group of students from your region during their travel home from camp including ensuring students are transported to a pre-set location and met by their guardian. Teachers may need to participate in post-camp briefings.

It is intended that students attending the STEM Girl Power Camp will be STEM ambassadors when they return to school. Students will be invited to lead or participate in science activities in 2023, for example to promote National Science Week (Term 3). Regional officers will work with the students and their schools to organise events and will contact camp teachers to support, participate in and attend regional events during the year (Term 3 or 4). Teachers may also be asked to attend additional professional development sessions in Brisbane or regional centres and to support students at the end of year summit (Term 4).

When and where will the STEM Girl Power Camp be held?


The STEM Girl Power Camp will be held from Monday 15 May 2023 to Friday 19 May 2023 with a welcome session on the evening of Monday 15 May 2023.

Teachers will stay on-site to supervise students in share accommodation at the Queensland Conference and Camping Centres (QCCC) located in Brookfield, around 15km from Brisbane CBD, for four nights from Monday 15 May to Thursday 18 May before returning home on Friday 19 May 2023.

Camp activities will take place at a number of locations in Brisbane including laboratories of universities and research institutions.

How much does it cost and how do teachers get there?

There is no cost to the school for a teacher to participate in the camp.

Travel, accommodation, catering and costs of events and activities will be paid for by the Department of Education. If required, the teacher’s school will be provided with five days of Teaching Relief Scheme (TRS) payment for the school days the teacher is at camp (Monday 15 to Friday 19 May 2023).

Depending on student numbers, at least one teacher from each region will be invited to accompany the students and provide pastoral care and supervision of students at day and night camp activities.

Depending on location, the teacher may be required to accompany a number of regional students by plane or bus to and from Brisbane, or meet students at pre-determined locations and be responsible for their supervision. Teachers located within a three hour drive of Brisbane will be expected to organise their travel to camp if not supervising travelling students.

Important dates and use of personal information

Applications close at 5.00 pm on Friday 4 November.

Successful teacher applicants and their principal will be notified by the end of Term 4 2022.

Teachers will be asked to confirm their intention to attend and provide initiation information for camp planning before the end of Term 4 2022.

Teachers are expected to attend one of the Term 1 2023 welcome sessions for students.

In April 2023 an information package with the camp program and activity permission forms will be sent to successful applicants to complete and supervising teachers will be provided with relevant travel and regional student information in April-May 2023.

For further information about the STEM Girl Power Camp please email stem@qed.qld.gov.au or go to the Department’s public STEM hub page:

A teacher information form is included in the online application process for planning purposes. Teachers selected for the camp will be asked to complete additional permission and consent forms for camp activities.


What is the application process?

Completed applications (including attachments) are to be submitted through the Entrant Portal by 5.00 pm on Friday 4 November. Instructions for submitting an application are provided at the end of this document.

Successful applicants will be advised of their selection by the end of Term 4 2022.

Instructions for applying

All forms can be accessed from the Entrant Portal. . Once completed all forms and attachments need to be uploaded onto the Entrant Portal to finalise the application.

  1. State schools in Queensland are invited to nominate a teacher to attend the camp. The principal will need to nominate and register the teacher. Click on the Entrant Portal and submit the teacher’s details.
  2. The teacher will receive an email to access the Entrant Portal. to complete their application. *Check your other email folders if not received in the inbox.
  3. The teacher completes their online application by responding to these questions and providing examples to support their application:
      4. 3.1. Describe their motivation for applying
      3.1.1. Why are you applying to participate in this program? (maximum 300 words)
      3.1.2. How do you envisage this camp will benefit you, your students and school community? Outline how you intend to build participation in STEM at your school on your return. (maximum 300 words)
      3.1.3. Outline previous experience chaperoning school or other groups indicating year, place, purpose and any challenges to manage. (maximum 300 words)
      3.1.4. Outline what you believe are key responsibilities for chaperones when accompanying students for camps and study tours. You may outline how you have undertaken the task previously. (maximum 300 words)
      3.2. You will be required to upload a teacher information form that will help with program planning if you are selected for the 2023 STEM Girl Power Camp.
      3.3. Applicants may wish to include a professional reference from an individual outside of the school as part of their application.
  4. The principal will receive an email inviting them to endorse and complete the teacher’s application. The principal finalises the teacher application by:
      5. 4.1. providing a principal’s endorsement and statement of support for the teacher’s application (maximum 300 words) to the STEM Girl Power Camp which describes:
        - the teacher’s capabilities and support for STEM learning in their school and professional networks; and
        - the teacher’s personal qualities that will support them to be a STEM camp chaperone and STEM ambassador. (maximum 300 words)
        - finalising the teacher’s application in the Entrant Portal.

For your application to be accepted you must meet the following terms and conditions

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

  • This program is open for participation by Queensland state secondary school teachers only.
  • Only one teacher may be nominated by each school.
  • The selection panel may select participants based on departmental strategic priorities which may include distributing opportunities for travel throughout the Department’s service delivery regions.
  • The selection panel may select participants with consideration of how many trips they have undertaken in the previous three years.
  • The decision of the selection panel will be final. Feedback will be provided upon request.

ELIGIBILITY

To be eligible to apply as a leader for the 2023 STEM Girl Power Camp the applicant must:

  • be a registered teacher in a Queensland state high school (or college, or academy);
  • commit to STEM Girl Power Camp Initiative activities throughout the year.
  • hold a current first aid certificate (copy of first aid certificate will be required);
  • be in good health and fit for travel and camp activities (for example laboratory activities and walking between events);
  • be prepared to abide by the Queensland Code of Ethics for Teachers;
  • be prepared to advise the Department of any changes that may affect participation (e.g. health, family or school requirements);
  • be willing to participate in all activities arranged by the organisers;
  • participate in pre-camp briefings; and
  • be available to travel, supervise and stay overnight at accommodation with students from Monday 15 May 2023 – Friday 19 May 2023;