By Cleo Sanders and Luella Pask

Students from the Mount Beauty Primary School recently took part in the highly anticipated Kids in Space program.

It is an initiative run by the Andy Thomas Space Foundation in collaboration with the Australian Space Agency.

The opportunity was made possible when the school’s year six teacher, Hayley Dodd, applied for the program last year and was selected for the challenge.

Kicking off in term one, the program provided the students with a 3D printer and access to the Makers Empire software, a design platform for 3D printing.

The students were tasked with solving a problem, either on Earth or in space, by creating an innovative solution through their designs.

Over the course of two busy terms, the team worked tirelessly, brainstorming ideas and refining their project until it was ready for presentation.

The culmination of their efforts came on 20 June, when the students travelled to Wangaratta to compete in the state-level showcase.

The competition, held at the Wangaratta Performing Arts Centre, saw teams from across Victoria present their designs to a panel of judges.

The students displayed their projects, which were carefully prepared with posters and models, while interacting with judges, teachers, parents and fellow students throughout the event.

After hours of presentations and deliberations, the moment of truth arrived.

The judges took to the stage to announce the winner and to the team’s astonishment, the top prize went to team two from Mount Beauty Primary School.

The winning team, consisting of Eloise Esler, Poppy Dangerfield, Andie Thurkettle, Lachie Ingram and Jeremy Vandenberg, were ecstatic to be selected as the best in the state.

As the victors of the state competition, the team, accompanied by their teacher Hayley Dodd and school principal Carolyn Serpell, will now travel to Adelaide, to compete in the National Championship.

The win is a significant achievement for Mount Beauty Primary School and highlights the exceptional creativity and problem-solving skills of the students involved.

The Kids in Space program has proven to be an inspiring experience, fostering a passion for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).