On Friday, 22 November, Westlake Girls High School hosted its highly anticipated annual STEAM Innovation Expo, welcoming family, Westlake staff, and future STEAM students for 2025 to celebrate another year of creativity, innovation, and collaboration. The event marked the conclusion of the Community Projects program as part of the STEAM curriculum, where groups of Year 10 STEAM students dedicated countless hours over the year to developing both a physical and digital prototype solution to real-world community issues. In a lively, two-hour showcase, attendees got to explore a variety of display boards that chronicled each team’s journey- months of brainstorming, testing, and refining ideas to create impactful solutions.

This year, the 14 participating teams tackled a wide range of community issues, aligning their projects with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). From female empowerment to marine conservation, the project highlighted each student’s unique ideas and passion for making a difference.

Attendees voted for their favourite projects, with the top five advancing to a thrilling ‘Shark Tank’ style semi-final.

Before a panel of inspiring women in STEAM, which included some of our Westlake alumnae, the finalists gave a two-minute elevator pitch outlining their design process and creative solutions. At the end, they were approached with questions from the judges about their work that demanded quick-thinking and clever responses to sell their ideas, truly showcasing their team’s potential and mastery of their topic.

The judges then selected the two most promising teams, each receiving trophies in two different categories:

 The Innovation Award: This was given to the team that demonstrated a strong level of creativity and inventiveness and was won by Piece by Piece, a team addressing UN Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). Their solution was a customisable dress with detachable pieces. It aimed to combat fast fashion and reduce textile waste by allowing users to mix and match dress sections to create multiple outfits, minimising the need for frequent clothing purchases.

 The Community Award: This went to the team with the most potential for success in the community and was received by Ocean Aura. Their solution, a children’s storybook and interactive app centred around encouraging young minds to appreciate and protect marine life, looks to work towards UN Goal 14, Life Underwater. Winning team members Zara, Aisling, Sharaya, and Tasman reflected, “For us, it was great to be recognised for the work we put in and it was a great experience. The key is to choose something you’re really passionate about and make sure to have fun with your team.”

Beth Thomson from the winning team, Piece by Piece, said:

“The best part of STEAM was Community Projects 100%, hands down, as it gives you the opportunity to bond with people you wouldn’t normally talk to and work towards a shared goal. My advice for future students is don’t be afraid to choose a different topic than your friends- it’s better to work on something you’re truly passionate about, and you’ll learn so much from collaborating with people outside your usual group.”

The experience was a testament to the power of perseverance and adaptability; setbacks encountered during the development process became opportunities for growth and were approached with an innovative mindset. Through our collaborative efforts and a strong desire to make a change, challenges were overcome and ideas were brought to life.

While stressful and filled with unexpected curveballs, the STEAM Innovation expo was an incredibly rewarding and worthwhile experience, allowing students to transform their ambitious ideas into practical solutions that lay the foundation for a future of possibilities, driven by creativity and teamwork.

Ultimately, we’re proud of what we achieved and are excited to see what the future STEAM students create in the coming years!

By Hannah Tegg and Audrey Malloy.