Around 100 primary and secondary students from around the region took part in the session, which saw the students work with hands-on maths and science problems and experiments. 

Questacon - the National Science and Technology Centre in Canberra, facilitated the session which aimed to challenge the students and develop their critical thinking skills. 

St Anne’s Temora student Georgina Grant said the day was both fun and stimulating, spending part of the day working with mini catapult machines.

“It’s been really good to see how you can apply maths in real life,” she said.

“It’s great to meet other kids in the region as well.

Hennessy principal Dr Peter Webster said the program was a step forward for education in the region.

“What’s really great for me is that we’ve got kids from catholic and public schools here and that’s the way forward for our area,” he said.

“Normally the kids would have to go away for a program like this, so we’re pretty lucky.

“Some kids have had to travel three hours to get here so it really shows their commitment.”

Dr Webster said the development was not just limited to the students as a result of the program.

“The staff have had an opportunity for professional development with Australian Catholic University lecturers visiting as well,” he said.

It was the first of four sessions to be held at Hennessy throughout the year.