A free STEM career resource that provides information to teachers and students on study plans, average incomes, employment rates and career pathways

Our objective is to empower students to discover and pursue STEM. We are planning on doing this through our website and various workshops at Griffith University (Logan and Gold Coast campus), Woodridge State High School and State High Schools in Logan.

ActivitiesWhen
STEM in action: Delivering LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and Virtual Reality sessions in schoolsNovember 2025 – March 2027
Empowering parents: Providing STEM career information sessionsFebruary 2027 – March 2027
Connecting with role models: Networking events with female STEM professionalsOctober 2026 – November 2026
March 2027 – April 2027

If you would like to stay up-to-date with workshop details and dates please submit your contact information here.

Blog Posts

VR Program Empowering CALD Female Students through Gamified Career Exploration Project

What an exciting way to bring STEM careers to life!

As part of our PlaySTEM led Dr. Jiraporn (Nui) Surachartkumtonkun, Dr. Carys Chan, and Dr. Mai Nguyen from the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW) – Griffith Business School: Empowering CALD Female Students through Gamified Career Exploration project, we have been running immersive Virtual Reality (VR) sessions in schools, working with our valued partner Mind Flight 7 to give girls from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds the opportunity to experience the world of STEM in a completely new way.

Through VR, students are not simply hearing about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), they can step into immersive environments, explore different possibilities, and imagine themselves pursuing these career pathways. Our aim is to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, build confidence and spark curiosity about STEM careers.

The response so far has been fantastic. We have reached 686 students through 18 VR sessions across four schools: MacGregor State High School, Warrigal Road State School, Kingston State College and Yarrabilba State Secondary College.

The project is proudly funded by the Strengthening Multicultural Queensland program.
We hope these experiences help more CALD girls see that STEM is not only something they can study, it is a future they can belong to and help shape.

To follow the development of our white paper, see our GitHub repository here.

Mai Nguyen's avatar by Mai Nguyen

Joint VR STEM initiative

Event date: 3 June 2026

The Griffith University (led by Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun) and Mindflight7 (led by Kajal Pala) partnership is officially moving into its next phase of delivery and research across Queensland!

Together, our joint VR STEM initiative is exploring how immersive technology can help address exposure bias, broaden career aspirations, and build student confidence in STEAM pathways. Through virtual access to more than 60 future-focused careers, students can connect their interests and strengths directly to tangible education and employment opportunities.

Following our latest project coordination meeting, we are excited to share that 10 secondary schools across the Logan area and regional Queensland have expressed interest in participating in the project.

A key focus of this next phase is evidence-based impact measurement. Through structured student and educator feedback, digital data collection, and research-led evaluation, we aim to better understand how immersive learning influences engagement, career confidence, and equity of access to higher education pathways.

This work represents more than just putting technology in the classroom – it is about creating informed, measurable pathways that help young people see what is actually possible for their futures.

🚨 There are strictly limited places remaining for this initiative. If your school is seeking to provide students with access to this innovative, fully-funded STEM engagement program, please reach out to the Mindflight7 team today at info@mindflight7.com for an eligibility discussion and to secure your funding allocation.

Mai Nguyen's avatar by Mai Nguyen

Griffith Business School welcomed more than 120 high school students from eight schools to our Nathan and Gold Coast campuses

Event date: 4 and 6 November 2025

✨ Inspiring the next generation of business thinkers through LEGO® Serious Play!

Last week, on 4 and 6 November 2025, Griffith Business School welcomed more than 120 high school students from eight schools to our Nathan and Gold Coast campuses to explore the exciting possibilities of a career in business.

Our PlaySTEAM team from the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW), Dr. Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun (Nui), Dr. Xi Wen (Carys) Chan, SFHEA, and me, hosted two engaging LEGO® Serious Play workshops, reaching 47 students across both campuses.

During the sessions, students used LEGO® bricks to explore key business themes such as innovation, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving, discovering how creativity and collaboration shape real-world business challenges.

We are excited to continue this journey: our next LEGO® Serious Play incursion will take place on 5 December, and we look forward to inspiring even more young minds through play and creativity!

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PlaySTEM Virtual Reality (VR) incursion at Warrigal Road State School on 15 October 2025

Event date: 15 October 2025

🌟 Empowering the Next Generation through VR and STEM! 🌟

We – the PlaySTEM team from Griffith Business School, brought virtual reality to life for 400 CALD students at Warrigal Road State School.

In an inspiring step toward empowering young minds, researchers from Griffith Business School (GBS) have launched their first PlaySTEM Virtual Reality (VR) incursion at Warrigal Road State School on 15 October 2025.

Led by Dr. Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun, Dr. Xi Wen (Carys) Chan, SFHEA, and me from the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing (WOW), alongside Dr. Jennifer-Leigh Campbell from the School of Engineering and Built Environment, the session marks a milestone in the Strengthening Multicultural Queensland (SMQ) PlaySTEM project.

With the support of Mindflight7 Mark Honnibal, we delivered interactive workshops using immersive VR technology to over 400 students, engaging them in hands-on, exploratory experiences designed to ignite curiosity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The initiative particularly focuses on inspiring culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) female students to imagine themselves in future STEM careers.

I truly believe that “VR gives students an opportunity to see, feel, and experience what a future in STEM could look like. It helps break down barriers and makes complex concepts exciting and accessible.”

The project is part of Griffith’s ongoing commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, encouraging underrepresented groups to explore future pathways in STEM. This project aligns strongly with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 5: Gender Equality, and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, by promoting inclusive and equitable access to transformative STEM learning experiences.

The PlaySTEM initiative combines cutting-edge technology with a social purpose, empowering CALD and First Nations girls through gamified learning and immersive exploration.

The PlaySTEM team will continue to collaborate with Queensland schools throughout 2025, building on this successful launch to reach more communities across the state.

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LEGO® Serious Play workshop with 20 bright young minds from Gilston State School and Benowa State School

Event date: 22 October 2025

🌟 Young Innovators from Gilston State School & Benowa State School Designing Our Future Cities 🌟
22 October 2025 | Griffith University, Gold Coast

Our campus was filled with energy and imagination this week as part of the Cutting Edge for Kids program, organised by Griffith STEM Outreach and the wonderful Anita Brant (nee Hazell).

Together with my colleagues Dr. Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun (Nui) , Dr. Xi Wen (Carys) Chan, SFHEA, and myself, our PlaySTEAM team from the Centre for Work, Organisation and Wellbeing hosted a LEGO® Serious Play workshop with 20 bright young minds from Gilston State School and Benowa State School.

🧱 Theme: Building the Future City
The students imagined and built cities of tomorrow that are sustainable, inclusive, green, and community-driven. Using LEGO as a creative thinking tool, they explored how parks, bridges, homes, transport, and shared spaces all connect to form thriving places to live.

As Nui shared beautifully: “LEGO Serious Play enables children to express complex ideas visually, encouraging problem-solving, creativity, and thoughtful innovation.”

And I truly believe: “Activities like this help young learners develop systems-thinking and teamwork skills. Every idea, small or big, plays a role in building a better community.”

💡 Why This Matters
This session represents Griffith University’s commitment to inclusive and experiential STEM education where imagination meets real-world impact, and children see themselves as future engineers, designers, scientists, and leaders.

A big thank you to:
✨ The students for their creativity
✨ The dedicated teachers
✨ Griffith STEM Outreach for supporting meaningful learning experiences

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PlaySTEM trial session at Griffith University’s Logan campus

Event date: 3rd July 2025

Empowering CALD Female Students through Gamified Career Exploration 🎮✨

We’re excited to share the successful launch of our PlaySTEM trial session on 3rd July 2025 at Griffith University’s Logan campus – part of the Empowering CALD Female Students through Gamified Career Exploration project, proudly funded by the Strengthening Multicultural Queensland (SMQ) Program.

Led by Griffith Business School – WOW researchers Dr. Jiraporn Surachartkumtonkun, Dr. Xi Wen (Carys) Chan, SFHEA, and me, in collaboration with Dr. Jennifer-Leigh Campbell from the School of Engineering and Built Environment, this cross-faculty initiative is a brilliant example of what happens when research, outreach, and industry come together for impact.

👏 Huge thanks to:
GBS Dean Engagement (Mrs Tanya Pienaar)
Griffith Outreach (Ms Jo Jessep and team)
School Engagement and Pathways (Alice Austin, Tegan M., Joel Klein, Josh Gibbons, Caitlin Rees-Smith and your team)
Mindflight7, for integrating immersive VR technology into the workshops!

Through gamified career exploration, this trial engaged culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) female students to build confidence, spark curiosity, and explore future-focused STEM and business pathways.

The insights gathered will help us refine and scale this initiative across Southeast Queensland, ensuring more CALD students can access engaging, inclusive career exploration experiences.

💡This is GBS’s commitment to equity, innovation, and preparing future-ready learners in action!

Mai Nguyen's avatar by Mai Nguyen