Students Reach for the Stars with National STEM Success

Students from Our Lady of the Sacred Heart School have once again demonstrated why Sacred Heart is fast becoming the leading centre for STEM excellence in Queensland, taking out the Industry Award in the prestigious 2026 Kids in Space Challenge.

Delivered by the Andy Thomas Space Foundation and Makers Empire, Kids in Space is one of Australia's premier STEM programs, challenging students to solve real-world problems using emerging space technologies and innovative design thinking.

As part of their Genius Hour learning, Sacred Heart students tackled an issue close to home: the impact of climate change, rising sea levels and predation on local turtle populations. Their solution was a satellite-connected monitoring system capable of detecting when turtles arrive on nesting beaches and automatically alerting rangers. The concept would allow eggs to be safely relocated, incubated and released in more suitable locations, helping protect future generations of turtles in the Torres Strait.

The project impressed a panel of industry experts, with Sacred Heart receiving the Industry Award, recognising it as the strongest concept presented in the competition.

The achievement has earned the team an invitation to Adelaide in November, where they will represent both the Torres Strait and Far North Queensland alongside the country's brightest young innovators.

Principal David Graham said the result reflects Sacred Heart's commitment to providing opportunities and learning experiences rarely found elsewhere in regional and remote Australia.

"At Sacred Heart, we've never believed geography should determine destiny. Our students deserve access to the same opportunities as any child in Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne, and results like this show they can compete with, and often outperform, students from anywhere in the country.We have spent years building a culture where innovation, curiosity and academic excellence are celebrated". 

As the Torres Strait continues to face complex social, environmental and economic challenges, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart is committed to ensuring local students are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to lead the future.

While others talk about preparing students for tomorrow's world, Sacred Heart students are already helping to shape it.

For families seeking an education that challenges young people to think bigger, dream bigger and achieve bigger, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart continues to lead the way!