Early education news, events and more
The biennial Awards are Australia’s only national awards dedicated exclusively to  excellence in early STEM education. 
 
The 2026 Awards marked the biggest and most competitive year in the program’s  history, attracting more nominations from across Australia than ever before. Following a  rigorous shortlisting process, finalists were assessed by an independent judging  panel comprising Dr Jo Grimmond, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at  Charles Sturt University, Wendy Gorman, early childhood education expert and Little  Scientists trainer, and Catherine Healy, Acting Assistant Director, STEM Team, Australian  Government Department of Education. 
 
Little Scientists Project Director Emma McGarrity said the exceptional standard of  nominations demonstrated the growing strength of and investment in inquiry-based  STEM education in Australia’s early learning settings. 
 
“This year we received more nominations than ever before and the quality was  exceptional. Many of the highest-scoring projects were separated by just half a  point, demonstrating the remarkable standard of early STEM education taking place  across Australia, and what is possible when educators are supported to embed  inquiry-based STEM into everyday practice. 
 
“The Awards showcase that exceptional early STEM education isn’t about expensive  equipment. It’s about giving educators the knowledge and confidence to transform  children’s natural curiosity into rich opportunities for inquiry, creativity, critical thinking,  and problem-solving.”
 
The Awards recognise excellence across two categories. 
 
The Excellence in Early STEM Education Award celebrates inquiry-based STEM projects  co-developed with children over an extended period, while the Outstanding Early STEM  Champion Award recognises individual educators who have been nominated by their  peers for their early STEM teaching and ongoing contribution to high-quality STEM  education within their learning communities. 
 
National Winners 
 
Excellence in Early STEM Education Award 
 
Spotted Frog Kindergarten (NSW) received the National Award for its 12- week project, “Can colours mix without actually mixing?”. Children investigated optical  blending, reflection and perception through experiments using layered celmix, jelly,  spinning discs, light projections and pointillism, ultimately discovering that colours can  sometimes appear to change without physically combining. 
 
Outstanding Early STEM Champion Award 
 
Lisa Brennan, Early Childhood Educator and Preschool Room Leader at Spotted Frog  Kindergarten (NSW), was recognised as the National Outstanding Early STEM Champion  for her exceptional leadership in fostering inquiry-based STEM learning and empowering  children to lead their own investigations. She was nominated by Fiona Parsons, Owner and Director of Spotted Frog Kindergarten. 
 
State and Territory Winners 
 
Excellence in Early STEM Education Award 
 
• National: Spotted Frog Kindergarten 
o Project: Can colours mix without actually mixing?  
• NT: Zuccoli Village Early Learners 
o Project: What do plants need to grow & what happens if they do not get  those needs?  
• QLD: C&K Carindale Community Kindergarten 
o Project: What treasures have we discovered in the playground & how can we  investigate them? 
• TAS: Bagdad Education & Care 
o Project: With windy weather, our kite, just might, take flight!  
• VIC: Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School – Kindergarten 
o Project: What is so special about worms?  
• WA: Ruth Landau Harp Early Learning 
o Project: How can we help Mr. Hippo to come down safely?  
• ACT: iV Learning 
o Project: Can we see what grows on our hands? 
 
Outstanding Early STEM Champion Award 
 
• National Winner (NSW): Lisa Brennan, Early Childhood Educator & Preschool  Room Leader, Spotted Frog Kindergarten  
• Northern Territory Winner: Tara Finlay, Senior Teacher Early Years, Larapinta  Primary and Preschool  
• Queensland Winner: Melanie Armstrong, STEM Teacher, Scenic Shores State  School  
• South Australia Winner: Tracy Beljon, STEM Teacher (Foundation to Year 2), Port  Lincoln Junior Primary School  
• Tasmania Winner: Monica Edwards, Program Facilitator, GreenSTEM Education  
• Victoria Winner: Franziska Kruse, Early Childhood Teacher, Froebel Fitzroy North  Early Learning Centre  
• Western Australia Winner: Dayani Lee, Early Childhood Teacher, Karrinyup Early  Learning Centre 
The number of compliance actions taken by Regulatory Authorities continues to rise with compliance directions, compliance notices and emergency actions notices all showing material increases compared to last year.
A five-year-old child was left unsupervised by a Western Australian outside school hours care (OSHC) service for nearly an hour after becoming separated from a group during an after-school collection, agreed facts published by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) reveal.
Bask Early Learning has split quality and compliance into its own non-contact leadership role, sitting alongside our educational leader. Here is the thinking behind the change.
As National Science Week gets underway, schools, families and educators across the country are celebrating the role science plays in shaping Australia's future. And never has it been more important to foster a love of STEM in our children, with new data revealing an alarming skills gap amongst Aussie kids.
The playground offers valuable opportunities for children to connect, negotiate, solve problems and develop relationships. It is also one of the most socially demanding parts of a child’s school day. 
The number of compliance actions taken by Regulatory Authorities continues to rise with compliance directions, compliance notices and emergency actions notices all showing material increases compared to last year.
A five-year-old child was left unsupervised by a Western Australian outside school hours care (OSHC) service for nearly an hour after becoming separated from a group during an after-school collection, agreed facts published by the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) reveal.
Bask Early Learning has split quality and compliance into its own non-contact leadership role, sitting alongside our educational leader. Here is the thinking behind the change.
As National Science Week gets underway, schools, families and educators across the country are celebrating the role science plays in shaping Australia's future. And never has it been more important to foster a love of STEM in our children, with new data revealing an alarming skills gap amongst Aussie kids.
The playground offers valuable opportunities for children to connect, negotiate, solve problems and develop relationships. It is also one of the most socially demanding parts of a child’s school day.