Incursions + Professional Development

Hands-on STEM incursions for schools, libraries and communities

The Australian Academy of Robotics and STEM (AARAS) delivers coding, robotics and STEM incursions for K-12 schools from just $5 per student per session. We also train your teachers so the program keeps running long after we leave.

Curriculum aligned
All equipment included
Team-teaching PD for staff
Students using tablets to program Dash robots through a coding maze activity.Students collaborating on a hands-on STEM robotics building activity.Students programming and testing robots during a STEM incursion workshop.
Working With Children Check (WWCC) verified
Public liability insurance
First-Aid certification
Our approach

Incursions + Professional Development = win-win for all

Teaching is shifting from expert to facilitator. We support that shift with practical, inclusive programs that show students how technology solves real problems, while building the confidence and capability of your staff.

80%20%

Hands-on first, always

Every AARAS incursion is built hands-on first: roughly 80% practical work and 20% theory. Theory is never taught on its own. It is introduced only in service of a hands-on build or experiment, so students learn concepts by doing.

Team-teaching model

We lead the first deliveries in your classroom, then coach your teachers to run the program independently.

Whole-school approach

Programs are planned across year levels so STEM becomes part of your timetable, not a one-off event.

Built to make us redundant

We take pride in not returning to the same school year after year, because your staff carry the STEM journey forward.

Case studies

Selected success stories

Delivered nationally, across public, Catholic and independent schools, public libraries, and community and corporate programs. A snapshot of recent incursions and the outcomes they delivered.

Public Schools

Bella Vista Public School students in a STEM incursion session
Professional Development
Coding & Robotics
Years 5 & 6
Bella Vista Public School
Coding & Robotics

Years 5 and 6 learned coding and robotics hands-on with LEGO® SPIKE™ Prime robots, covering algorithms, sequencing and sensors.

Mount Claremont Primary School students in a STEM incursion
Professional Development
WA
Primary
Mount Claremont Primary School
STEM Incursion

Success story coming soon.

Read the case study
Darcy Road Public School students in a STEM incursion session
Coding & Robotics
Whole School
Darcy Road Public School
Coding & Robotics

Started with a single stage and expanded into a full-year, whole-school program on-site, covering Creative Coding, Scratch Coding, Primary Robotics and staff professional development.

A whole-school STEM culture is now embedded, an after-school program followed, and teachers across every stage now teach the content independently.

Toongabbie Public School students in a STEM incursion session
Professional Development
Coding & Robotics
Whole School
Toongabbie Public School
Coding & Robotics

A whole-school program from the outset, not a single-class pilot, running across multiple terms on-site. Covered Creative Coding, Scratch Coding and Primary Robotics for students, plus professional development for staff.

An after-school program followed, and staff reported increased confidence teaching the content themselves.

Pendle Hill High School students in a FIRST® LEGO® League coaching session
Professional Development
NSW
Year 9
Pendle Hill High School
Competition Coaching

Two FIRST® LEGO® League teams coached through a full competition season, with one team taking out an award and the other reaching the national championships.

Read the case study
Professional Development
Coding & Robotics
Stage 2 & 3
Girraween Public School
Coding & Robotics

A multi-year, weekly on-site program covering Scratch coding and robotics, alongside professional development for staff. The school had already invested in LEGO® robotics kits but wasn't sure how to use them, and teachers who'd completed external training still lacked confidence to teach it. AARAS's team-teaching model built that confidence and got the existing equipment into weekly use.

Increased student engagement · Teachers now run sessions independently · Ongoing positive feedback from the school

Read the case study
Professional Development
Professional Development
Staff & Executive
Oatlands Public School
Professional Development

A one-off professional development session for school executive and staff, prompted by a new curriculum requirement and a lack of staff confidence with classroom technology. The session combined a hands-on workshop, a presentation and Q&A, and a curriculum mapping exercise.

Staff reported greater confidence with technology, and the school went on to commission an AARAS after-school program, which it promoted to its own community.

Read the case study
Metella Road Public School students in a STEM incursion session
Bespoke STEM Integration
Stage 3
Metella Road Public School
Bespoke STEM Integration

A term-long, on-site project integrating STEM into a Stage 3 unit on bushfires. AARAS brought in the local Fire Brigade, who presented real operational challenges to students in an assembly: water access during bushfires, city brigades supporting country brigades with trucks unsuited to the terrain, and the conditions firefighters face in protective gear. Students used 360-degree cameras for a virtual incursion, a drone flown on school grounds with the principal's permission, and LEGO® kits to develop their own ideas and prototypes.

The term closed with a community capstone event: parents, community members and Fire Brigade personnel returned to see what students had built and gave feedback directly.

Read the case study
Blacktown Girls High School students delivering TED-style talks
TED-Ed Student Talks
High School
Blacktown Girls High School
TED-Ed Student Talks

A student-led public speaking and presentation program where students research, write, and deliver their own TED-style talks, building communication and confidence alongside presentation skills.

Independent Schools

Catholic Schools

Mother Teresa Primary School students in a Coding and Robotics session
Coding & Robotics
One-off Session
Mother Teresa Primary School, Westmead
Coding & Robotics

A one-off Coding and Robotics session for primary students. High energy from start to finish, with students fully engaged in hands-on building and problem-solving.

IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp: Indigenous Digital Excellence equipment and tablets laid out for a robotics training session
National Program
Professional Development

IDX — Indigenous Digital Excellence Initiative

AARAS delivered LEGO® Mindstorms EV3 training (fundamentals plus sensor work) to IDX Champions from Indigenous communities across Australia, at the IDX Initiative's Flint Facilitator camp.

IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 1IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 2IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 3IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 4IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 5IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 6IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 7IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 8IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 9IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 10IDX Initiative Flint Facilitator camp — photo 11

Libraries

Church Sunday School students in a robotics session
Community Program
Church Sunday School
Robotics Session

A one-off STEM incursion session for a church Sunday school program.

Read the case study
Photo pending
Australia wide
Teams & events
Corporate & Event Programs
Corporate & Events

Take your team building to the next level. AARAS brings hands-on coding and robotics experiences to corporate teams and events across Australia.

Programs

Programs

Hands-on coding, robotics and technology programs for Primary and High school students, each curriculum-aligned and fully resourced.

View all programs
Specialist programs

Specialist programs

Looking for something beyond a standard incursion? We also offer specialist programs in areas like space engineering, cybersecurity, and AI.

View all specialist programs
Staff augmentation

A practical, sustainable and affordable staffing solution

Schools are meeting increasingly diverse student needs while holding to strict academic standards. Staff augmentation lets you add specialist STEM expertise without the long-term commitment of traditional hiring.

We place an experienced STEM educator alongside your staff to build and deliver your school's STEM program during school hours. Coding, robotics, STEM and engineering are scheduled into your timetable, and your team is trained on our proven curriculum along the way.

Usually cheaper than hiring your own specialist staff
Talk to us
STEM educator working alongside classroom teachers during a school program
Case study

Minarah College

From a single-term incursion to a year-long staff augmentation arrangement

AARAS staff were embedded in Minarah College's timetable as a subject for the entire year, rostered exactly like another member of school staff, with all staff and equipment supplied by AARAS.

Read the case study
Students collaborating on a robotics competition robot during a coaching session
Competition coaching

Ready to compete? We coach your team too.

Some schools want more than an incursion, they want a competition team. We coach FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) teams from the ground up: technical mentoring, competition strategy, and hands-on coaching through the season. Minarah College's incursion program grew into exactly this.

Foundational skills
FLL, FIRST® LEGO® League
A first competitive step for primary and junior secondary students, built on the Robotics and Coding skills from our incursions.
Advanced, multi-discipline skills
FTC, FIRST® Tech Challenge
A full competition season for high school students spanning hardware, software and CAD sub-teams, plus roles like scouting and outreach. Macquarie University offers course credit for FTC participation.
Talk to us about your team
How it works

Simple booking, lasting capability

01

Tell us your goals

Share your year levels, curriculum outcomes and budget. We'll recommend a program or fully customise one.

02

We come to you

Our educators arrive with all robots, devices and materials. No setup or preparation required from your staff.

03

Team teaching in class

We lead the sessions with your teachers beside us, so they learn the program while students are learning.

04

Your team takes over

Teachers receive our curriculum, lesson plans and ongoing guidance to keep delivering STEM independently.

FAQ

Common questions

A STEM incursion is when AARAS comes to your school, library or venue to deliver hands-on coding, robotics and STEM learning on-site, rather than students travelling elsewhere. Everything arrives fully equipped and ready to run.

Incursions start from $5 per student per session.

AARAS delivers programs for every year level from Kindergarten through Year 12.

Yes. Every incursion includes all equipment and resources needed, so nothing is required from the school beforehand.

Yes. Every facilitator holds a current Working With Children Check (WWCC), and AARAS carries current public liability insurance.

Yes. Every program is mapped to the Australian Curriculum and relevant state syllabus, and can be customised to a school's objectives and budget.

No. AARAS works with primary and high schools, public libraries, and community and corporate groups, using the same hands-on approach across every setting.

AARAS has been delivering STEM incursions for 10 years.

Yes. AARAS delivers STEM incursions to schools, libraries and community groups across Australia, including regional and remote areas.

Roughly 80% hands-on and 20% theory. Theory is only introduced in service of a hands-on build or experiment, never taught on its own.

Schools, public libraries, community groups and corporate teams. AARAS adapts the same hands-on approach to each setting.

Four steps: tell us your goals, we come to you fully equipped, we team-teach the first sessions alongside your staff, then your team takes over running the program independently.

Yes. AARAS coaches FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL) teams for primary and junior secondary students, and FIRST® Tech Challenge (FTC) teams for high school, through a full competition season.

Yes, through staff augmentation: an experienced AARAS educator works alongside your team for a term or longer, building in-house capability.
School enquiry

Tell us about your school

Share your year groups and preferred dates and we'll come back with a tailored incursion plan, pricing and availability, usually within one school day.

  • Programs mapped to the Australian Curriculum
  • All equipment supplied and set up by our team
  • Flexible half-day, full-day and multi-week formats
  • Builds General Capabilities (critical thinking, teamwork, collaboration)

Ready to bring STEM to your school?

Contact us today for incursions, professional development and STEM programs focused on using technology to solve real-world problems. We'll tailor the program to your objectives and budget.