In 2025, Makers Empire is partnering once again with The Andy Thomas Space Foundation (ATSF) to deliver the third year of the ATSF’s Kids in Space, a national space education program for primary schools. This pioneering program delivers education and awareness of the opportunities in space careers to Australian primary school-aged children. Each year, Australian schools are invited to register their interest in participating via a national callout.
Thanks to our amazing 2025 Kids in Space partners below, schools selected for Kids in Space receive space-themed professional development days for teachers, a custom space-themed challenge course for students, Makers Empire for a year, a Makers Empire 3D Printer Package, showcase days in each state for students and teachers to celebrate and share their learning, and an opportunity for one school from each state to win a trip to a a national showcase event at the Australian Space Discovery Centre.
The 2025 Kids in Space program began as usual with professional development and training for teachers. So, throughout February, the Makers Empire team is travelling throughout Australia delivering Kids in Space professional development days to groups of teachers from selected schools.
Professional development (PD) days included an introduction to Makers Empire and the Kids in Space Challenge Course, maker pedagogies and Design Thinking in the Australian curriculum from our learning experts, live video calls with guest speakers from the Australian Space Agency who relayed their insights and experiences of working in the space industry, sharing of potential project ideas and an introduction to 3D printing. In some states and territories PD days also included additional guest speakers from the space industry, visits to local space museums and training facilities, and tours of working satellite facilities.
The Makers Empire team started the Kids in Space professional development ‘tour’ in our home state of South Australia with professional learning days for teachers held on February 3-4 at Lot Fourteen. Teachers also toured the Australian Space Discovery Centre next door, as well as Hamilton Space Academy, which includes a simulated Martian crater and landscape with seven geological zones, a Mission Control Room, a Briefing Room, and a space laboratory. Thank you to our guest speakers, venues and Sarah Baker, Principal at Hamilton Secondary College.
"Fantastic, engaging experience that has opened up a world of resources, ideas, connections not only to the space industry and Makers Empire but to inquiry based learning,"
The Makers Empire team visited Gympie on the Sunshine Coast of Queensland on 10-11 February to work with our Queensland cohort of teachers at the Gympie RSL. Thanks once again to the space communicators from the Australian Space Discovery Centre for sharing their knowledge and experiences of working in space.
"Lovely presenters with fantastic expertise in all areas. Really liked the real-life sharing and strategies to take away. Fantastic resources and really clear information on the program and the app use,"
Next, the Makers Empire team visited the Northern Territory on 17-18 February to work with our local cohort of teachers at the Danala Education and Community Precinct at Charles Darwin University. Speakers from the Australian Space Agency also joined via Zoom to present on space industry connections and career pathways. Thank you to the team at Danala and Charles Darwin University.
"I have found Makers Empire to be highly engaging for all students. The gamification of learning has the students focused on the different achievements along the way and things they can purchase with their coins too. The interface is really straightforward to use for kids and adults alike. Makers Empire is well worth the consideration for any classroom. Also the Flashforge 3D printers network REALLY easily into the NTSchools network... My computer was easily able to detect the machine and I didn’t have to leave my desk to send files to it,"
The Makers Empire team visited Canberra on 20-21 February to work with our ACT cohort of teachers at the Academy of Future Skills at Caroline Chisholm Senior School. After the professional learning session and insights from the Australian Space Discovery Centre’s space communicators, teachers enjoyed an inflatable planetarium session facilitated by Dan Heap, Instructional Mentor and STEM Leader with the Academy of Future Skills. Thank you to the team at Academy of Future Skills.
"An engaging, hands-on experience with knowledgable and supportive instructors. Having the information pack to refer to will be very helpful. Also, knowing that there is on-going support is very reassuring,"
We’ll be updating this post with photos from all of the other PD days in due course.
