BGS STEAM PRECINCT The future is here
Taking BGS to new heights A Brisbane Grammar School education has never been more valuable than now. Our educational outcomes speak for themselves. We are consistently ranked as the number one school for boys in Queensland for academic achievement. BGS has a proud tradition of educating boys within an innovative learning culture that nurtures their intellectual, physical and emotional wellbeing to become global citizens who contribute to their communities.
At the same time, the School promotes a culture of inclusiveness, diversity and support – through our Bursary Program – for those who would not otherwise be able to receive such an outstanding education. At a time of significant change for work and careers, a BGS education equips students with the tools to achieve individual goals and all-round excellence, now and into the future.
We have not achieved success through complacency. It is time for the next bold moment in the BGS journey. The future is here.
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An opportunity to lead Australia While six decades of remarkable scientific and technological innovation have ensured our lives today look radically different from the 1950s, the BGS Science classrooms have changed little. These teaching facilities have served us well for over 60 years, but they no longer satisfy the demands of the School’s current ways of teaching and student learning. Our reputation and standing in the educational community gives us the opportunity to be at the forefront
of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) education in Australia. Given the rapid emergence of digital technologies, artificial intelligence, DNA mapping, robotics, nanotechnology, 3D printing and biotechnology, business and industry leaders demand graduates who can collaborate and communicate and think critically and creatively. It is these skills that will enable our graduates to adapt to the changing professional landscape and prepare them for jobs that do not yet exist.
The current BGS Science classrooms limit our teachers’ capacity to extend the boys’ thinking and learning.
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The STEAM Precinct Our vision is to replace our ageing Science classrooms with a new STEAM Precinct – creating an environment that excites, engages and inspires both our students and their teachers and promotes deeper learning. The precinct will be far more than a new building to staff and students; it will be a hub for ideas, for innovation and for educational growth. The acronym STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics – refers not just to these standalone disciplines but rather to a way of thinking. This includes observing, forming questions, making predictions, designing and carrying out experiments, hypothesising and discussing projected outcomes. STEAM represents a progressive shift in teaching and learning, promoting the sharing of ideas across science subjects, the arts and humanities. The STEAM Precinct will be a physical extension of the BGS educational philosophy – to develop critical, reflective and creative thinkers with the capacity and enthusiasm for independent, lifelong learning.
The precinct will be a hub for ideas and innovation.
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STEAM and Effective Thinking At BGS, we intentionally and actively research the best teaching practices. We have researched, designed and implemented a new learning methodology called Effective Thinking Cultures (ETC). ETC places an emphasis on extending BGS students’ capacity for critical thinking, self-regulation and autonomous learning. For our boys to gain the most from this new method of learning they need the practical, theoretical, and social benefits of the STEAM Precinct.
ETC embraces the concept of STEAM education, where it will bring together cross-disciplinary teaching and encourage exploration, creativity, design and testing – both independently and collaboratively. In the past, teachers were content experts who tested how well boys listened. Now, it’s more important to solve problems and learn about the process; to discover solutions by combining multiple disciplines and applying knowledge to unfamiliar circumstances.
STEAM combines scientific inquiry with technological implementation, engaging the problem solving of engineering, the creativity of the arts, and mathematical modelling to support a whole-of-brain approach to comprehension and understanding of the real world.
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STEAM is the future For more than 150 years, our teaching ethos has been rooted firmly in the concept of a broad liberal education. Our boys have always been deliberately exposed to every discipline – giving them a broad educational foundation for life beyond school. But there is no doubt of the growing impact of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics on the world. A high and increasing number of our students pursue these disciplines at university.
The School realises the importance of fostering the creative thinking skills of the arts to ensure our boys are best prepared for university and beyond. The STEAM Precinct has been purposefully designed to provide a range of connected and supported learning areas. It will create an integrated and flowing network of spaces that will encourage our boys to think and collaborate across disciplines, and prepare them for life beyond school.
More than 60% of BGS students pursue STEAM-related disciplines at university.
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A transformative hub Hands-on learning will be possible within this hub – from artistic and technological exploration to designing, prototyping, 3D printing, complex biological dissections and earth science studies. A living laboratory To enhance every opportunity for realworld learning, the building itself will be a living laboratory, harvesting energy through solar cells and a wind generator. A professional space The STEAM Precinct will closely resemble the modern, dynamic, professional and collaborative spaces that our boys will encounter at university and in industry. A grown-up space While every boy in the School will benefit from experiential learning in the precinct, for senior boys it will be their social and learning hub, with communal facilities that recognise and support their growing maturity and transition into the adult world.
A community space The STEAM Precinct will be a space for embracing parents, families, other schools and industry. It will be a space in which we can continue to break down the barriers to scientific literacy for all members of our community and to assemble for educational and social events. A connecting and coherent space The precinct will create a dynamic corridor, connecting the north-west corner to the heart of the School while leaving heritage buildings undisturbed.
The precinct will provide a contemporary space that connects teachers, learners and the community.
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Best practice teaching and learning Educational research confirms that transitions from one activity or mode of learning to another, while essential to good teaching practice, have the potential to negatively impact lesson flow and student focus. The most effective lessons are those that engage students via a variety of learning modes: didactic, collaborative, reflective, practical and expressive. The spaces in the STEAM Precinct are designed to optimise teaching and learning and enact the principles of best pedagogy.
The new co-laboratories created for the sciences will maximise learning time and enable students to transition seamlessly between theoretical and practical ways of learning. The design and art spaces will challenge students to think and work creatively and flexibly to solve problems. STEAM enables students to move easily between thinking and doing; to be able to plan, test, analyse and refine ideas in a smooth, continuous flow of learning.
The STEAM Precinct brings disciplines together in large, contemporary and technologically rich learning spaces.
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BGS STEAM PRECINCT
STEAM Precinct special features 300-seat open auditorium with space for exhibiting science A and the arts – scientific experiments, robot wars, artistic displays and anthropological artefacts.
Flexible learning areas to accommodate between 30 to 150 students. Students can showcase their projects and experience shared learning.
Adaptable Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Technology, Design, Earth Science and Art classrooms where teachers across disciplines combine to teach classes together.
Design hubs to create, construct and test prototypes.
Chemistry laboratories of university standard, to promote advanced and practical scientific enquiry.
A specialised dissection laboratory.
A new home for the School’s Physical Education classrooms, adding the discipline of Sports Science.
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Impact of STEAM BGS has educated leaders in Queensland, Australia and the world. Australia’s competitive edge depends largely on the quality of its leaders and their criticalthinking skills. Exposure to a collaborative and creative environment where diverse disciplines work together to solve problems will equip our boys with vital technical and social skills that will give them a competitive advantage at university and in the workplace.
Now, more than ever, scientists are required to engage with society, step outside the laboratory and address realworld problems. By incorporating the arts, human concepts of ethics, morality and responsibility are introduced into technical discussions and thinking. The outcome is graduates who are prepared for uncertainty and confident to lead others through change.
The STEAM Precinct will help us educate Australia’s future leaders, who will improve society and solve some of the world’s most complex challenges.
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A culture of giving Brisbane Grammar School was established on principles of philanthropy. In 1864, just five years after the Colony of Queensland was established, members of the Brisbane community began fundraising to create the township’s first secondary school. Over the following 150 years, philanthropy continued to play a fundamental role in improving school
facilities and increasing access to a BGS education. Successive generations of Old Boys, parents, teachers, students and industry partners have generously committed to the School’s fundraising endeavours. Needs-based bursaries help foster the broad diversity within the student population that contributes to the School’s egalitarian culture.
The investment of individuals’ time, treasure and talent nurtures the BGS community and generates real benefits for our students.
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BGS STEAM PRECINCT
Be part of our future The STEAM Precinct will be the largest capital project and most ambitious in the School’s history. To create this transformative precinct, we need your support. The total cost for the project is estimated at $70M, funded from reserves, borrowing and philanthropic support. Of equal importance is our ambition for 10% of our student cohort (170 students) to be supported by needs-based bursaries, enabling boys from a wide cross section of our community to access a BGS education. We aim to raise an additional $5M to support this goal. Your support of the STEAM Precinct or the Bursary Fund will lead Queensland into a new era of education and will signpost BGS as one of the best schools for boys in Australia. Most importantly, it will better prepare our boys for the new world. 100% of your gift goes to supporting BGS boys.
The future is here.
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BGS STEAM PRECINCT
Contact Inma Beaumont
Anthony Micallef
Executive Director – Advancement and Community Relations
Headmaster
Telephone +61 7 3834 5212 Mobile 0407 996 794 Email inma.beaumont@brisbanegrammar.com
Telephone +61 7 3834 5200 Email headmaster@brisbanegrammar.com
Howard Stack Fundraising Committee Chair Telephone +61 7 3834 5200 Email campaign.chair@brisbanegrammar.com
Brisbane Grammar School Gregory Terrace Brisbane QLD 4000
T +61 7 3834 5200 E reception@brisbanegrammar.com W brisbanegrammar.com CRICOS Provider Number 00489C