By Melissa Blewitt

Condobolin High School students will be among regional NSW students to take part in DeadlyScience workshops aimed at encouraging more Aboriginal girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
The school is one of 16 schools across the Central and Far West NSW selected to participate in the program during Term 4, following a $250,000 investment by the NSW Government in the expansion of DeadlyScience workshops.
The program will use Aboriginal scientific knowledge and culturally relevant STEM activities to introduce students to potential education and career pathways.
The workshops are aimed at students from Kindergarten to Year 9, with a particular focus on Years 4 and 9.
Condobolin High School is among schools selected for the first stage of the expansion, alongside schools in Broken Hill, Dubbo, Parkes, Menindee, Gilgandra and surrounding areas.
The program is designed to increase participation in STEM among girls, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, who remain underrepresented in STEM education and employment.
According to the 2025 STEM Equity Monitor Data Report, women hold just 15 per cent of STEM-qualified jobs, while women account for 23 per cent of senior management positions and eight per cent of CEOs in STEM-qualified industries.
Aboriginal people are also underrepresented in university STEM education and STEM-qualified occupations.
The DeadlyScience program follows a pilot delivered at six regional NSW schools in October 2025 and March 2026, involving 12 programs and more than 300 students.
Almost half of the students involved in the pilot expressed an interest in continuing their STEM learning.
The pilot also highlighted Aboriginal knowledge and the role of women in STEM, providing students with examples of First Nations leadership in science and technology.
DeadlyScience founder and CEO Corey Tutt OAM said the new funding would allow the organisation to employ two First Nations women to deliver STEM education in schools and communities.
“This is the most significant government investment DeadlyScience has received, and it represents a transformative moment for our organisation,” Mr Tutt said.
NSW Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said encouraging girls to consider STEM careers needed to begin while they were still at school.
“We want to ignite a passion for STEM in young Aboriginal girls and see our next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators thrive,” she said.
The NSW Government funding will support workshops at 50 regional and remote schools, with the remaining schools to be determined by the end of 2026 and further workshops scheduled for Terms 1 and 2 next year.
For Condobolin High School students, the Term 4 workshops will provide an opportunity to explore STEM through Aboriginal knowledge and meet First Nations women working to create pathways into the sector.