In an exciting educational twist, students from Southern Vales Christian College in Aldinga Beach saw their saw their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning come alive beyond the classroom walls recently.

The college, located a short walk from the heart of stage 2 of the Main South Road duplication project, visited the Fleurieu Connections Alliance construction site and joined project staff for real-world learning activities. This included hands-on exploration of the Aldinga interchange and the broader duplication project extending from Aldinga to Sellicks Beach.

The students, in years 7, 8 and 9, were divided into three immersive learning streams, which gave them a unique insight into civil construction and the wide range of career opportunities available in the industry.

Their action-packed itinerary included a bridge building challenge, a traffic management brain teaser and a guided bus tour of the live construction site.

Under the guidance of seasoned Main South Road engineers—some of whom were sitting in similar high school classrooms not so long ago—the students tackled the challenge of constructing the strongest bridge deck from unassuming materials such as popsticks, straws, and sticky tape. The winning bridge component impressively withstood the weight of a fire extinguisher and six concrete blocks.

The practical traffic management exercise saw the students unravel the puzzle of managing road closures and detours during construction. The students formulated detour routes and placed appropriate signage—skills that are vital in STEM fields and the civil construction industry.

The guided bus tour allowed this next generation of road users to experience the true scale of the construction at what will become the new Aldinga interchange. The tour included a stop at Sellicks Hill, offering a panoramic view across the entire project site, sparking curiosity and admiration for the work underway.

Southern Vales Christian College’s Head of Secondary for the Aldinga campus Justin Kowald was delighted with the day, saying that it gave his students the chance to see ‘what happens behind the scenes’ at this major construction project in their area.

‘I would like to thank the team at FCA for providing a wonderful, interactive and informative experience for our Year 7-9 students,’ Justin said.

He said the students really enjoyed the activities, especially the bridge building challenge, which gave them the chance to build a small replica of what was occurring just down the road.