“As technology is advancing so quickly, we as educators have to prepare our students for jobs that don’t currently exist,” Ms Dark said,

“The aim of the STEM program at Crookwell is to teach students these future employability skills of communication, critical thinking, teamwork and creativity,” she said.

“It’s powerful for students to learn STEM-based concepts, directly relate them to real-world applications and to also work with local and international businesses.”

The latter opportunity arose with the Gullen Range Wind Farm.

Gullen Range donated $1750 worth of educational equipment to the STEM program, still in its first year at Crookwell High School.

Gullen Range Wind Farm asset manager Derek Powell visited the high school recently to see a demonstration of how its Year 8 science students were progressing with their donated wind energy equipment kits.

“The best way to learn is by doing and these turbine kits are fantastic in this respect,” Mr Powell said.

“We are really proud to assist students in learning about renewable energy while also helping make class a bit more fun,” he said.

To complement their classroom studies on renewable energy, 40 Year 8 students also toured the Gullen Range facility earlier this year.

As part of the tour of Gullen Range, which is Australia’s first co-located wind and solar farm, the students were able to see inside a wind turbine and get up close to a solar panel array.

Additionally, the wind farm’s community fund also gifted $13,534 to the refurbishment of the Crookwell High library.