Education Matters meets the teacher awarded the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching in Primary Schools in 2024 – Mr Daniel Edwards.
For Montello Primary School teacher Mr Daniel Edwards, the path to education has been shaped by a deep-rooted passion for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) and a desire to make a meaningful impact on young lives.
Growing up in Tasmania, Mr Edwards’ earliest memories were filled with hands-on STEM-related activities, from tinkering with electronics to exploring the mechanics of robotics.
Initially, he says, he envisioned a career in mechanical engineering, but his perspective shifted as he witnessed the profound impact that his mother’s work in special needs education and his father’s role in community-based youth programs had on people’s lives.
Mr Edwards’ father, a police officer, had the opportunity to work in a new division focused on early intervention with at-risk and vulnerable youth.
“Dad was named Tasmania’s Local Hero [in the Australian of the Year Awards] in 2011 for the work he did in the community,” Mr Edwards says.
“He helped start a program in Shorewell Park called Kommunity Kids, which had a massive impact on that community and changed a lot of those kids’ lives and those families’ relationships with police and with the community.”
Observing the transformative power of education and community engagement, Mr Edwards was inspired to pursue a teaching degree at the University of Tasmania, determined to channel his STEM passions into empowering the next generation.
“My parents set an example that your career and what you do for work, the fulfilment out of that isn’t just something you enjoy doing, it’s that you’re making an impact,” he explains.
“You’re contributing to bettering your society, and doing something to elevate others and to help make them the best that they can be.”
Mr Edwards joined Montello Primary School in 2018, going on to become its first STEM specialist teacher in 2021. He has since developed a comprehensive program that applies STEM concepts across the curriculum.
Starting from scratch
One of Montello Primary’s key initiatives is the Personal Pathways program, which allows Year 5-6 students to delve deeper into specialised areas of their choosing.
This includes Mr Edwards’ STEAM League, an opportunity for students to extend their learning in all areas of STEM and represent the school through participation in the Greenpower electric vehicle challenge and FIRST LEGO League (FLL) robotics competitions.
In 2024, this included an all-girls FLL team that won the Robot Design award at the Burnie Regional event and was the only public school-based team from Tasmania to advance to the FLL National Championships South, held in Sydney.
“It’s an opportunity for these students to go further in STEM and be involved with team-based STEM competitions, connect with other teams and industry experts, and represent the school,” Mr Edwards says.
Montello Primary is the first school in Australia to participate in the Greenpower electric vehicle challenge, introduced to Australia through GreenSTEM Education’s partnership with Greenpower Education Trust in the United Kingdom.
Mr Edwards is also the founding CEO of GreenSTEM Education, Tasmania’s first STEM education-focused charity. The charity’s purpose is to advance education by providing equitable access to STEM education for young people and the wider community, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds.
“Through GreenSTEM education, we started hosting FIRST LEGO League regional tournaments on the northwest coast of Tasmania in 2023. This came about after the Launceston regional tournament had ceased, which meant kids in the north, northwest and west coast lost the opportunity to compete. They either had to travel to Hobart or participate online. And for us, if it’s in Hobart, it might as well be in Melbourne, in terms of the travel time and logistics,” he says.
Mr Edwards and his colleagues at GreenSTEM couldn’t accept that.
“We accelerated our plan to start hosting the tournament, running it at Somerset Primary School in 2023, which was a success. In 2024, we got more people involved and partnered with University of Tasmania and Burnie City Council, gaining access to a much bigger facility at the university, and some funding from the council, which allowed us to sponsor other teams across the region to participate,” he says.
Beyond the classroom, Mr Edwards has also established the STEM Unlimited program at the Burnie Community House in Shorewell Park, providing free after-school STEM activities for students from grade 5 through 12. This initiative has drawn participants from multiple schools, fostering a collaborative and inclusive approach to STEM education in the region.
“Kids learn more about programming, web design, game development, and we also run a LEGO League team from there. They won the Peer Award and placed second overall in the FLL Burnie Regional in November and went on to compete in Sydney at the national championships in December,” Mr Edwards says.
STEM opens doors
As an educator in the outer regional area of Tasmania, Mr Edwards is acutely aware of the unique challenges faced by students in his community.
Many come from families with intergenerational poverty, where the idea of higher education or meaningful employment can seem like an unattainable dream.
“A lot of these students haven’t seen family members go to university, get meaningful employment or own a house,” he says.
Despite these significant barriers, Mr Edwards is driven to provide his students with the absolute best opportunities possible, determined to open up pathways and possibilities that may have previously seemed out of reach.
Teaching three days a week at Montello Primary School and two days a week at Parklands High School, teaching digital technologies to Years 7-10, he is helping them see what they can be.
“With my role at Parklands, I’m now seeing many students I’ve taught for many years at Montello. They’re inspiring other kids and getting them involved in STEM. That’s really powerful and rewarding,” he says.
“As I’ve worked with an increasing number of other educators and organisations across the region, GreenSTEM Education’s influence continues to grow. You can have so much more impact when you’re able to empower and support others.”
Mr Edwards’ impact extends far beyond his own classroom at Montello Primary School. He has also played a key role in mentoring other educators, such as Brett Mullins from Somerset Primary School. Through his guidance and support, Mr Mullins has gone on to achieve remarkable success, winning the Tasmanian Primary STEM Teacher of the Year award in 2024 after being recognised as a finalist for the same award in 2023. Mr Mullins’ is also a director of GreenSTEM Education.
By mentoring educators like Mr Mullins, Mr Edwards has created a ripple effect, inspiring others to follow in his footsteps and provide transformative STEM learning experiences for students. The recognition Mr Mullins has received is a testament to the impact of Mr Edwards’ mentorship and the power of building a strong, supportive network of STEM educators.
Mr Edwards’ dedication and impact have been recognised with prestigious awards, most recently the Prime Minister’s Prize for Excellence in Science Teaching.
He invited Montello Primary School’s former principal, now retired, to the award presentation in Canberra as one of his guests.
“Before she retired, Denise was key in establishing the STEM specialist position – that role didn’t exist at our school before 2021. She could see the impact with what I was doing in my classroom. She offered me the role at the end of 2020, before she retired in mid 2021. I wanted to honour her at the presentation in Canberra.”
But for this transformative educator, the true reward lies in witnessing the growth and success of the students he inspires, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds.
