A week full of activities celebrating the seeds of knowledge in science

ANSTO concluded an eventful National Science Week with a series of events celebrating how nuclear science and technology contributes to knowledge and progress, including the contributions of the OPAL multi-purpose reactor over 20 years.

"With strong public interest and support for science in Australia, we proudly celebrated the contribution ANSTO makes with the operation of the OPAL multi-purpose reactor and impact from our scientific infrastructure. This year, we continued to broaden our STEM outreach to Deaf and hard-of-hearing students and Indigenous youth," said Rod Dowler, Leader National Education and Engagement at ANSTO.

The 2026 Deaf Youth Science Camp brought eighteen Deaf and hard-of-hearing teens from across Australia to ANSTO Lucas Heights for a fun-filled four days of science. 

Led by Deaf educators in the Australian sign language Auslan, students learned about the science of bushfires and floods, built and launched rockets, and tested how exercise affected their reaction speed. The group also visited the Science Centre Wollongong and the Museum of Illusion for amazing interactive activities

This camp is an important culturally safe event for Deaf and hard-of-hearing youth, who are often socially isolated and experience many barriers accessing information in their own language Auslan. This year, students came from Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, Brisbane, Armidale and Broken Hill to build community and Deaf identity while learning some science along the way.
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Curious minds, creative solutions, and exciting discoveries took centre stage in Think Science! 2026. Students from across Australia embraced the challenge, applying critical thinking and scientific inquiry to investigate real-world problems and showcase their passion for science.