Today was registration day for the Australian Science and Engineering Fair finalists here in Phoenix!
All members of the team are now officially registered and proudly wearing their event wristbands and lanyards. These are essential identification items required for entry into the presentation hall, but they have also quickly become excellent accessories for collecting pins from the various international teams and of course carry one of our koalas.
Our finalists also recorded their “shout out” video, which will be featured during the Opening Ceremony. Students were additionally selected for interviews, so we are hopeful that the Australian and New Zealand teams will feature prominently during the ceremony celebrations.
The teams spent part of the day working collaboratively on the large Australia and New Zealand posters that will be carried on stage during the Opening Ceremony. We have certainly discovered some impressive artistic talent within the group! A major highlight of the day was seeing the students’ printed project posters for the first time. It was a proud moment for everyone to see months of hard work professionally displayed and ready for judging.
The remainder of the afternoon was dedicated to booth setup. Students worked through final adjustments, identified small tweaks that needed to be made, and managed a few challenges that occurred during transit. We are pleased to report that Sarah successfully received approval for her booth setup today, with several others very close to completion. All remaining booths will be finalised, refined, and approved tomorrow ahead of judging.
The evening concluded with a great tradition, the international pin exchange event. Our Australian team arrived with highly sought-after “hot commodities”, our koalas, which proved extremely popular among participants from around the world. In return, students collected an impressive array of hats, pins, clips, necklaces, and other memorabilia, while also forming new international friendships and connections. It was international relations at its very best.
The students continue to represent Australia with enthusiasm, professionalism, and resilience, and we are incredibly grateful for the support that has made this opportunity possible.