The Da Vinci Decathlon is an academic competition designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of school students. Named after the renowned polymath Leonardo da Vinci, the competition encourages students to engage in a variety of disciplines, reflecting da Vinci’s diverse interests and talents.
The history of the Da Vinci Decathlon dates back to its inception in 2002 in Australia. The competition was created by Knox Grammar School in Sydney, with the aim of providing a platform for students to showcase their academic abilities across ten different disciplines. These disciplines include engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography, and general knowledge.
Over the years, the Da Vinci Decathlon has grown in popularity and has expanded internationally. Schools from various countries now participate in the event, making it a truly global competition. The decathlon not only tests students’ knowledge and skills but also promotes teamwork, creativity, and critical thinking.
I was thrilled this week to have been invited by Brenda Gahan to observe the event at Sunshine Coast Grammar School. I was even more thrilled to witness the students being challenged in an engineering task that I created! The students were required to design and build a conveyor belt to move Lego pieces into a box. As I wandered around the 52 teams from schools around the region, I saw students discussing various ways to execute the task with enthusiasm and creativity. Brenda introduced me to her colleagues, and I was able to view some of the school’s spaces where technology lessons were carried out. I particularly enjoyed chatting with Justin Pembroke, in person after following online, who is Head of Digital Innovation and an advocate for robotics!
The event was excellent; it truly engaged the students and enabled them to shine! Congratulations to all the organizers and especially to Brenda.
