Community roots / Buraligim Weiber connects culture with STEM

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Award-winning initiative in Central Queensland is helping young people build confidence while exploring science, sustainability and Indigenous perspectives

ConocoPhillips Australia Stakeholder Relations Manager Chantale Lane, left, and CQUniversity Associate Professor Linda Pfeiffer celebrate the Buraligim Weiber project's win at the 2026 Australian Energy Producers Excellence Awards.

ConocoPhillips supports science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs that help young people build confidence and discover their potential. In Central Queensland, one award-winning initiative is helping Gladstone students see how learning connects to their culture and community.
 
In 2020, CQUniversity’s STEM Central developed Buraligim Weiber, an immersive 20-week program for Year 4 students from two local Gladstone primary schools. Buraligim Weiber means "Place of Learning" in Gooreng Gooreng, an Aboriginal language spoken in Central Queensland.
 
Over the years, Buraligim Weiber's impact has continued to grow across the Gladstone community. Delivered through STEM Central and community sites, the program received the Community and Social Investment Award at the 2026 Australian Energy Producers Excellence Awards, recognizing its impact in supporting First Nations education through culturally grounded STEM learning.
 
Buraligim Weiber blends STEM, humanities and social sciences, sustainability, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and language to create hands-on learning experiences grounded in local communities. By embedding Indigenous perspectives through a strong local context, the program helps students connect classroom learning to real-world experiences while building awareness of future STEM pathways.
STEM Central is a publicly accessible venue that benefits the Gladstone community and promotes STEM education. 
At a glance: STEM Central

In partnership with CQUniversity, Australia Pacific LNG sponsored the creation of STEM Central, a purpose-build STEM facility at Gladstone Marina campus. Opened in 2018, STEM Central addresses STEM knowledge gaps, supports teacher development and engages students through hands-on learning. 

The program is supported by ConocoPhillips Australia as the downstream operator of Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG), reflecting a shared commitment to education and community partnership.

Located at the southern end of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, Gladstone offers students a unique opportunity to explore STEM through both industry and the natural environment.

CQUniversity Associate Professor Linda Pfeiffer, project lead for STEM Central, said the long-term partnership with ConocoPhillips Australia has been critical, particularly because early investment gave partners time to design and build the program thoughtfully. 

Linda Pfeiffer

“What makes this program unique is that it brings together schools, university, industry and community to support students in a shared way,” Pfeiffer said. 

That collaborative approach has been key to Buraligim Weiber’s success, creating opportunities and outcomes that would not have been possible through any one organization alone.

Buraligim Weiber was co-designed by educators, citizen science groups, industry, the university and local First Nations people. It launched in 2021 for Year 3 and Year 4 First Nations students and has since grown into a fully embedded Year 4 program for all students.

“The learning is grounded in local context, connecting students with culture, language and places of significance," Pfeiffer said. "It allows students to see how connection to Country and STEM come together in a way that feels relevant to their own lives.”

The Buraligim Weiber program helps students strengthen literacy and numeracy skills, deepen cultural connections and explore future pathways in STEM.

By bringing together cultural knowledge and the Australian Curriculum, the program is helping students build confidence and engage more deeply in the classroom. Early indicators, including improved absenteeism data, point to the positive impact of this approach.

Students visit Quion Island as part of the Buraligim Weiber program's place-based learning experience.

“We see students become more engaged in their learning and excited about what’s possible,” Pfeiffer said. “One day they’re saying they want to be a marine biologist, the next it’s an astronaut — and we want to nurture that aspiration.”

Pfeiffer hopes the program can be expanded to schools across Australia, with each community shaping the learning experience around its own culture, environment and connection to Country.

For ConocoPhillips Australia Stakeholder Relations Manager Chantale Lane, the program reflects the lasting value of community investment.

“Through our Australia Pacific LNG Community Investment Fund, we support initiatives that create opportunities for future generations. This program is a powerful example of what can be achieved together."