Enrichment based learning at Dalby South State School encourages identified students from Years 1 to 6 to think outside of the box, take risks, generate ideas, use design strategies, consider alternatives, solve problems using reason, logic, resourcefulness, imagination and innovation. The Enrichment Program extends classroom learning and as well as articulating STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) learning experiences that takes students into the 21st Century so that they become confident creators, inventors and designers.
The Enrichment Program changes each semester and from one year to the next however the core ideologies (teamwork, communication and collaboration, problem solving and inquiry based approaches that develop creative, critical thinking skills) to optimise students full learning potential remain the same.
Students selected for the Enrichment Program are identified through their school based report cards each semester, other testing measures and observation as potentially benefiting from extra stimulus opportunities. Depending on the Enrichment Program focus there may also be some other qualifying standards. Student selection involves the Enrichment teacher and members of the Administration team. Together they review student achievement levels and discuss identified students with the current classroom teachers and/or from the previous semester. Selected Enrichment Program students will receive a letter of invitation to take home and they are expected to maintain their class work and curriculum standards to remain in the Enrichment Program. Some Enrichment Program learning experiences may also incur a small cost to families however this would be outlined in the letter of invitation.
Dalby South State School has been a Gateway to Industry Schools (Advanced Manufacturing) school partnering with the Queensland Manufacturing Institute since 2020 and has also developed a collaborative partnerships with Industries in our local region via our STEAM Enrichment Program. A recent project involved students designing prototypes for chaser bin brackets and involved a field day to present their designs.
Our Enrichment Program in 2024 will focus on Industry 4.0 links to continue to develop enrichment based learning capabilities by bringing together technology (For example: 3D Additive Manufacturing & Coding and Robotics), individuality and discovery based learning which builds upon the core disciplines of the school based curriculum at Dalby South State School, the National STEM Education Framework and STEM Education in Queensland Schools.
Dalby South State School also continues to build STEM capabilities and STEM literacies within the classroom curriculum learning contexts through the Makers Empire 3D Design and Additive Manufacturing partnerships first established during 2021 for all students. A further project, as one of only 12 Queensland schools, is also underway involving two groups of Dalby South students in the 2024 Kids in Space National Program with The Andy Thomas Space Foundation, Australian Space Agency and Makers Empire. 
For more information, have a look at the #STEAMaheadatSOUTH Gateway to Industry to Schools article on embedding design thinking in a primary school.
