This Thursday, 135 Regional Girls Will Walk Into a Room Full of Possibility
This Thursday, 135 Year 8 girls from regional schools across the Mid North Coast will arrive at Yarrila Place in Coffs Harbour.
Some will be excited.
Some will be nervous.
Most probably have no idea just how much this day could change the way they see themselves and their future.
I know that sounds like a big statement for a one-day conference.
But last year I watched it happen.
I watched girls who arrived quietly leave talking excitedly about careers they had never heard of before.
I watched students discover that scientists aren't just people in textbooks.
That STEM isn't a narrow pathway reserved for a select few.
It's a world full of creativity, curiosity, problem-solving, innovation and purpose.
Most of all, I watched girls realise that they belonged there.
That matters because for many of the students attending this week, this will be the first time they have ever met a woman working in a STEM career.
The first time they have spoken to a geologist.
A cybersecurity engineer.
A mathematician.
An artificial intelligence specialist.
A doctor.
A marine scientist.
An Indigenous ranger.
An environmental scientist.
For many, it will also be the first STEM event they have ever attended outside of school.
There's a saying that has always stayed with me: You can't be what you can't see.
And that's really what this conference is about.
Not convincing girls that they should become scientists or engineers.
Not telling them what they should do with their lives.
Simply helping them see the vast possibilities for their future.
Growing up, through my studies in science and working as a teacher, I have seen how exposure changes everything.
Sometimes all it takes is one conversation.
One role model.
One moment where a young person thinks:
"I could do that."
The reality is that many of the biggest challenges facing our world into the future will require STEM skills to solve.
How do we protect rivers?
How do we conserve species?
How do we build healthier, more resilient communities?
The future will need scientists, engineers, researchers, innovators and problem-solvers.
But it will also need diverse perspectives.
It will need women.
It will need regional voices.
It will need people who think differently, ask questions and bring their own lived experiences to the table.
Last year, 81% of students told us it was the first time they had met STEM professionals and heard them speak about their careers. 87% had never attended a STEM event outside of school. Yet by the end of the day, 78% said they intended to study STEM subjects in Years 11 and 12.
One student wrote:
"This event changed my opinion and my dream."
Another said:
"I felt empowered and like I could be anything."
Those are the moments that make me incredibly proud to do the work that we do here at OzGREEN.
That spark.
That shift.
The opening of a door that a young person didn't know existed.
This Thursday, more than 70 incredible women working across STEM will generously share their stories, their experiences and their time.
They will show students that careers don't always follow a straight line.
That success isn't about being perfect.
That curiosity matters.
Persistence matters.
And that there is more than one way to build a meaningful future.
To every student attending this week, I hope you leave knowing one thing:
The future is not something that happens to you.
It is something you can help create.
And no matter where you come from, no matter what school you attend, no matter what path you eventually choose..
Your ideas matter.
Your voice matters.
And there is a place for you in shaping what comes next.
To the 135 girls attending this week, we can't wait to welcome you this Thursday!
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OzGREEN extends our sincere thanks to our Event Sponsors for the 2026 STEM Conference for Regional Girls: BCU Bank, The Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer, ENV Solutions, CSIRO, Arborgreen and Inspiring Australia. We would also like to acknowledge the City of Coffs Harbour and many more in-kind supporters. Learn more
