2024 Queensland-Cooper Hewitt Fellowship now open

Issued: 1 May 2024

Applications for the 2024 Queensland-Cooper Hewitt Fellowship opened today (1 May).

The Queensland-Cooper Hewitt Fellowship provides funding each year for a registered Queensland teacher to travel to the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, to gain further knowledge and skills in the field of industry and technology design.

Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Kerrie Wilson said the Fellowship supported teachers to improve design thinking in Queensland schools, enabling them to better engage students in the learning process, facilitate creative problem-solving, and encourage collaboration.

“The Queensland Government has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Smithsonian Institution in the United States of America, the world’s largest museum education and research complex, of which the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum is part,” Professor Wilson said.

“Since 2008, some $219,000 has been awarded to 12 Fellows from across Queensland who have returned with valuable experiences and knowledge to apply to their teaching and share with their teaching community.”

Fellows are chosen by an independent assessment panel.

The 2023 Queensland-Cooper Hewitt Fellow was Nanango teacher, Mr Stephen Anderson.

Mr Anderson said one of the many things he brought back to Queensland on his return from the Smithsonian Institute was a practical understanding of the additional skills and knowledge needed in the areas of the design process, design thinking, and how to teach these.

“The Fellowship allowed me to work closely with world-renowned experts in design education, giving me an unparalleled opportunity to provide this vital knowledge in the Queensland education sector,” Mr Anderson said.

Applications for the 2024 Queensland Cooper-Hewitt fellowship close on 6 June 2024, with more information available.