Empowering the next generation of STEM leaders in the Hunter Valley
Talent is everywhere in Australia, but opportunity is not. Students in regional areas and underrepresented groups have limited access to the practical, high-demand skills they need to secure future jobs.
Since 2018, Google has supported Australian Schools Plus to help provide those opportunities as part of our Digital Future Initiative. By supporting school-led initiatives, we aim to bridge the gap between classroom learning and the rapidly evolving world.
We are proud to extend this work to support the next generation of innovators at Maitland Grossmann High School in the Hunter Valley.
Bridging the gap between classroom and industry
Teaching the next generation of students about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is about more than just building technical skills; it is about providing the tools, confidence, and opportunities they need to shape the world. When industry and education come together, we can break down barriers and ensure every student, regardless of where they live, has a path to the future.
Last week, a team from Google visited Maitland Grossmann High School to see this commitment in action, volunteering with students in an interactive program of hands-on activities, designed to bring real-world problem solving to life. From student-led pitches on environmental solutions to career conversations with Google engineers and the inspiring keynote from Dr. Jennifer Baker, a Superstar of STEM.
A highlight for many was the predictive text workshop, where students explored the mechanics of Large Language Models (LLMs) using cups and paper to understand how technology learns and evolves. Seeing students engage so deeply with these concepts reinforced how vital it is to have industry experts and role models in the classroom to share their journeys and provide a direct line to the workforce of tomorrow.
Providing Opportunities Where They Are Needed Most
Schools Plus CEO, Sherrill Nixon, stressed the importance of making these possibilities real for young people.
“For many young people, especially girls growing up in disadvantaged communities across Australia, STEM careers can feel like they belong to someone else, someone from a different school, a different suburb, a different life.
Our support from Google exists to change that. When a young woman sees herself reflected in a STEM pathway, mirrored by someone who looks like her and started where she started, possibility becomes real.
This support from Google continues to open doors for students every year through programs in digital literacy, ethical AI capability, teacher leadership, family engagement, and STEM aspiration for girls, and this year alone we are reaching more than 13,000 students.
Every one of these students is learning in a community where access to opportunities like this cannot be taken for granted, which is exactly where this work matters most.”
Creating opportunities where they are needed most
Our longstanding support for Schools Plus focuses on equipping young Australians in disadvantaged communities with digital literacy and future-focused skills. Over the years, this has supported diverse projects ranging from the development of high-tech makerspace classrooms to establishing STEM clusters for greater student and teacher impact.
This regional focus in the Hunter Valley builds on several years of successful initiatives across the country:
- Tasmania: At Montello Primary School, our support helped launch a dedicated Makerspace that introduces younger students to robotics, machine learning, and Virtual Reality.
- Western Sydney: During our inaugural Girls in STEM Day, students from Evans, Plumpton, and Doonside Technology High Schools visited our Sydney headquarters to design biomedical implants and build machine learning models for recycling.
- Queensland: At Beenleigh State High School, we supported programs connecting students directly with local industry experts to explore cutting-edge careers in drone aviation and forensic science.
In 2025 alone, the program reached 50 low-ICSEA schools and 18,400 students. For 2026, Schools Plus has expanded this effort to support more than 13,000 students across 14 schools, with a continued emphasis on ethical AI, teacher leadership, and STEM aspiration. This vital work is backed by an additional $3 million grant from Google.org to champion equitable education nationwide.
