Celebrating 2026 STEM MAD local finalists
Across Australia, students have spent months imagining, designing, testing, building and refining ideas through their local STEM MAD competitions and showcases.
From almost 200 students and 64 teams taking part in Wollongong’s Innovate for Impact, to 450 students coming together for the Bunbury STEM Showcase in Western Australia, and local showcases and competitions across Catholic education communities around the country, thousands of hours of work have gone into bringing students’ ideas to life.
And while the competitions provide an opportunity to recognise outstanding projects, STEM MAD is about much more than winning.
Behind every project is a significant investment
Every finished project represents an investment of time, energy, creativity and discipline.
Students have been challenged to identify problems that matter to them and their communities and then consider how science, technology, engineering and mathematics might help address them.
That process is rarely straightforward.
Ideas need to be questioned. Designs need to be tested. Things don't always work the first time. Students need to listen to feedback, solve unexpected problems and sometimes return to the drawing board entirely.
It is this process that makes STEM MAD so valuable.
Students aren't simply demonstrating what they know. They are learning how to apply their knowledge with purpose - combining creativity with critical thinking, persistence, collaboration and a desire to make a difference.
Celebrating local winners
Over recent months, Catholic education systems and dioceses around Australia have held local competitions and showcases, celebrating some extraordinary work from primary and secondary students.
Congratulations to all 2026 local STEM MAD winners and finalists:
Some of these students will now have the opportunity to take their projects to the next stage, representing their local Catholic education communities at STEM MAD National 2026 in Sydney.
For others, the local showcase marks the end of this year's STEM MAD journey, but their contribution is no less worthy of celebration.
Thank you to the people behind the projects
These achievements don't happen in isolation.
Thank you to the teachers, STEM leaders, school staff, families, Catholic education teams, judges, industry partners and volunteers who have encouraged students, shared their expertise and created the space for young people to experiment and create.
Most importantly, congratulations to every student who took an idea and did the hard work required to turn it into something tangible.
Whether or not your project received an award, that willingness to identify a problem, imagine something better and work persistently towards a solution is something worth celebrating.
Next stop: STEM MAD National
On Thursday 26 November, students from Catholic education communities across Australia will come together at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney for STEM MAD National 2026.
The national showcase will provide another opportunity for students to share their work, learn from one another and demonstrate the extraordinary creativity happening in Catholic schools around Australia.
We look forward to welcoming our national participants to Sydney — and seeing where their ideas take them next.
