Mission to Mars: STEM in Action Through a Proud Partnership

In term 1, students from Canterbury Boys High School and Canterbury Girls High School, came together once again for another exciting chapter in our ongoing STEM collaboration, a simulated Mission to Mars.

As part of our highly successful Enrichment Program, Year 7 students from Canterbury Boys teamed up with their peers from Canterbury Girls to take part in a Mars exploration challenge that put their coding, robotics, and teamwork skills to the test. Together, they programmed robots to navigate a simulated Martian environment, completing complex tasks that mirrored the challenges faced by real space engineers.

This project is part of a proud and continuing tradition of shared learning experiences between the two schools. Over the years, Canterbury Boys and Canterbury Girls High Schools have partnered on a number of academic and co-curricular initiatives, particularly in the areas of STEM, leadership, and wellbeing. These joint programs are designed to give students a broader, richer educational experience by encouraging collaboration, communication, and creativity across campuses.

The Mission to Mars was a perfect example of these values in action. Students showed outstanding initiative as they solved real-world problems, built on each other’s strengths, and worked as cohesive cross-school teams to reach their shared goals. It was a joy to watch students from both schools connect, challenge one another, and celebrate their successes together.

The benefits of this continued partnership are wide-ranging:

• Enhanced STEM engagement, as students are exposed to practical, hands-on learning in coding, robotics, and critical thinking
• Opportunities to develop social confidence, teamwork, and communication across diverse peer groups
• A united educational community, with both schools committed to preparing students for the challenges of tomorrow through innovation, collaboration, and excellence

We’re proud of the strong and growing relationship between our two schools. With many more joint projects planned for the future, the Mission to Mars is just the latest milestone in a shared journey of learning, discovery, and success.