Community & Business
13 January, 2026
Malanda students put school on the map
FOUR bright, young minds from Malanda State School have returned from a national robotics competition with their heads held high after they finished among the top schools in the nation.
Luke Turner, Isaac Krems, Braxton Palmer, and Sophie Lynch had plenty to be proud about after competing against 55 other primary school teams from across the country at the National VEX Robotics Championships.
Not only did they make the finals to secure an impressive 7th place overall, but they were the top-ranking primary school in Queensland and the second-best state primary school in the nation.
“It’s an exceptional outcome for a small rural community competing against some of the most well-resourced schools in the nation,” school STEM teacher Greg Lanyon said.
The high-pressure environment of the national competition – crowds, cheering teams, and live scoring – tested even the most experienced competitors.
After a nervous start, the Malanda students regrouped, refined their strategy, and delivered an outstanding performance alongside a Victorian partner team. Together, they achieved the third-highest score recorded that day, a result that propelled Malanda into finals contention.
The four students are part of the school’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Academy, which is run weekly, providing students with a dedicated two-hour extension learning block.
For nine months, the students designed, programmed, and engineered their robot, working collaboratively with their fellow classmates to bring their creation to life.
The Malanda STEM Academy continues to be a flagship STEM program for the Tablelands area, providing hands-on learning in robotics, engineering, and digital technologies. It also teaches essential life skills such as communication, independence, creative problem-solving, and resilience.
Malanda State School students in Years 4–6 are able to nominate at the start of the school year to be considered for the 2026 STEM Academy.
The school acknowledges the support of the Bega Group and Schools Plus, whose contributions ensure that students from rural communities can access opportunities typically available only in larger metropolitan centres.
