Three years ago, Rise & Shine Kindergarten introduced a bold and imaginative addition to its early learning program, Australia\u2019s only childcare-operated mobile planetarium. What began as an ambitious extension of its Orbit, Centre of Imagination STEM program has since become one of the organisation\u2019s most celebrated and impactful educational experiences.<\/p>\n
Today, the planetarium stands not just as a resource, but as a symbol of how innovative thinking in early childhood education can transform the way children engage with the world around them.<\/p>\n
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When the planetarium was first introduced, the goal was simple yet powerful, to bring immersive, inquiry-based STEM learning to life. With the ability to host 20\u201330 children at a time, the travelling dome created an environment where children could step beyond the classroom and into the stars, exploring space, science, and storytelling in a way that felt real and immediate.<\/p>\n
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Three years on, its success has exceeded all expectations.<\/p>\n
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The planetarium has become a central feature of the Orbit program\u2019s rotating experiences, travelling between centres across Queensland and New South Wales, as well as visiting schools and community events. Supported by one of the most comprehensive planetarium content libraries in the country, the experience continues to evolve, offering everything from guided tours of the solar system to interactive to curriculum-aligned explorations of Earth and beyond.<\/p>\n
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For the children, the impact is unmistakable.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou get to go inside the stars, it\u2019s like being an astronaut,\u201d said Andee, a Rise & Shine child, echoing the sense of wonder that has defined the planetarium experience since day one.<\/p>\n
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Beyond the excitement, the planetarium has played a deeper role in shaping learning outcomes. As part of the Orbit program, it reinforces a hands-on, inquiry-driven approach that encourages children to ask questions, test ideas, and imagine possibilities, skills essential for navigating a future that is still unfolding.<\/p>\n
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The success of the planetarium is also a reflection of Rise & Shine\u2019s long-standing commitment to STEM education. Managing Directors Edward and Marianne Zaki recall how that vision first took shape:<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhen Rise & Shine first opened, we felt it was necessary to include a strong element of STEM learning. That\u2019s why we created Smart Start, our dedicated STEM environments that are found in each centre. Over the past decade, we\u2019ve continued to build on that foundation, and the planetarium has become one of the most loved and impactful resources we\u2019ve introduced.\u201d<\/p>\n
In 2025, Rise & Shine Kindergarten and Orbit , Centre of Imagination expanded its reach even further with the launch of the Orbit, Mobile STEM Shuttle, ensuring that these engaging learning experiences could be shared with an even wider audience.<\/p>\n
This year is particularly meaningful for the Rise & Shine community, marking five years of Orbit and ten years of Smart Start. As Jennifer Weston, Group Head of Crew and Culture explains:<\/p>\n
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\u201cCelebrating these milestones makes this an incredibly special, science-focused year for us. It\u2019s inspiring to reflect on how far we\u2019ve come, and being part of so many young learners\u2019 journeys into STEM is truly an honour.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Orbit Planetarium plays a powerful role in strengthening Rise & Shine Kindergarten\u2019s Preschool & Kindy program by embedding authentic STEM learning into everyday experiences classrooms through intentional curriculum experiences and extension activities. By replicating the nature of a real excursion within a safe and familiar environment, the planetarium builds children\u2019s confidence, independence and readiness for the expectations of Primary School. It complements our sector leading School Readiness pathway, equipping children not just with knowledge and curiosity, but real-world routines and skills essential for a successful transition to Primary School.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe planetarium has helped us challenge perceptions of STEM. It\u2019s not just screens or technology, it\u2019s hands-on, inquiry-based learning. Whether children are building robots, observing life cycles, or exploring the universe, STEM is everywhere, and it should feel exciting,\u201d says Petro Papazoglou, Head of Education at Rise & Shine Education.<\/p>\n
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Technologically, the planetarium continues to impress. Its advanced full dome projection system creates a fully immersive environment, allowing children to experience realistic night skies, planetary movement, and deep-space exploration. Combined with its portability, this technology has made high-quality science education more accessible than ever within the early years sector.<\/p>\n
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Perhaps most importantly, the planetarium is planting seeds for the future.<\/p>\n
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Rise & Shine Kindergarten and Orbit, Centre of Imagination STEM Ambassador, Dr Laura Driessen, reflects on how a similar experience shaped her own path:<\/p>\n
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\u201cI was hooked on astronomy when I was four years old and visited a mobile planetarium at my local library. That was the moment that set me on the path to becoming an astronomer. It\u2019s incredible to see Rise & Shine creating similar moments for children today.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Three years on, the mobile planetarium has proven to be far more than an educational tool. It has become a catalyst for curiosity, a driver of innovation, and a reminder that when children are given the opportunity to explore, imagine, and discover, they don\u2019t just learn about the world. They begin to see their place within it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Three years ago, Rise & Shine Kindergarten introduced a bold and imaginative addition to its early learning program,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":654118,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[64,63,99,1474,128,105,268839],"class_list":["post-654117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-science","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-business","tag-innovation","tag-science","tag-technology","tag-the-sector"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=654117"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/654117\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/654118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=654117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=654117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=654117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}