Today on Better Student Leaders, Josh sits down with Anita Brandt, STEM Outreach Manager at Griffith University and the powerhouse behind Science on the Go and the groundbreaking SuperGEMS program. For more than 20 years, Griffith’s outreach has supported teachers, excited young people from Prep to Year 12, and created authentic pathways into STEM. In this episode, Anita shares how the team blends curriculum enhancement, hands-on science engagement and university student leadership to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers and creators.

Anita opens up about the origin story of SuperGEMS, a motorsport-inspired, year-long program where 50 girls completed 3,500-word research reports, conference posters and professional presentations on topics like aerodynamics, materials, tyres and engine performance. She explains how a childhood love of motorsport turned into a vision to help girls see themselves in technical careers that often feel invisible — and why more than half the participants now want to return as mentors. We also explore one of the most powerful parts of her work: watching university volunteers grow, including the shy international student who became a confident STEM leader through outreach.

If you’re interested in STEM activation, community engagement, student leadership development or programs that genuinely move the needle, this conversation is a lesson in how outreach transforms both young people and the university students who step up to deliver it. Anita’s passion, clarity and belief in what students can become shines throughout the episode, and her stories reveal what true impact looks like in action.

Tune in to learn what makes Science on the Go! unique, why SuperGEMS has captured national attention and how giving back can unlock confidence, capability and connection in every student leader who gets involved.