Across two inspiring days, Open Access College students from all over South Australia will gather to explore hidden worlds, blending modern science with ancient perspectives. On campus at Marden, Thursday 14 August, we kick off with an Introduction to Quantum Mechanics - a high school session that unpacks the mind-bending ideas behind particles, uncertainty, and the invisible forces shaping our universe. Next, in Exploring Seed Shapes, students will examine how nature encodes information into the tiny forms that feed and sustain us, linking these shapes to cultural knowledge and Country. After recess, the fun continues with Laser Locks – Finding Hair Thickness Using Light. Here, every day, strands of hair become precision instruments as students discover how lasers and interference can measure the seemingly immeasurable. We finish the day with Pinhole Camera Fun, transforming simple materials into working cameras that reveal the physics of light, shadow, and perspective — connecting ancient ways of observing to modern optical science.

On Friday, 15 August, students travel to Adelaide’s cultural heart for a full-day excursion to the Australian Space Discovery Centre, South Australian Museum, and MOD. Here, they’ll see how contemporary research and Indigenous perspectives meet, from cutting-edge astronomy to the deep time stories held in our land and objects.

Together, these activities invite students to see the world differently: through lasers, seeds and stories, quantum ideas and cultural knowledge — all while connecting with peers from every corner of South Australia.