Star pupil off to science and tech camp

Fifteen-year-old Dylan Milton-Bright is planning his first trip out of Western Australia after being selected to attend the Aboriginal Summer School for Excellence in Technology and Science in Newcastle early next year.

Dylan is a Year 10 student at Gilmore College and it was his keen interest in chemistry that led to his acceptance in the program.

"I'm very excited about the camp, it's a great opportunity to meet other students and I am really looking forward to travelling to the other side of Australia," he said.

"I find chemistry fun and interesting and I am hoping to get into university and study something like engineering."

Gilmore College Follow the Dream co-ordinator Dave Smith said Dylan was one of only 105 students from across Australia to attend the ASSETS program and his outstanding achievements in science, technology, engineering and mathematics earned him a place.

"Dylan is a very capable student and we knew it would be competitive but we were confident he would be chosen," he said.

"It is a great program and he is the kind of student that grabs opportunities with both hands, so I have no doubt he will have a fantastic week."

The ASSETS program runs camps in Adelaide, Newcastle and Townsville and Dylan will be one of only 35 students to experience the CSIRO Energy Centre and take part in a solar energy challenge.

He will also work with researchers from the University of Newcastle to investigate contaminants in local water sources and compare purification techniques.

When he is not busy brushing up on his chemistry, Dylan is involved with the Follow the Dream program, Clontarf Football Academy and the Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience program through his studies at Gilmore College.

Mr Smith said the Follow the Dream program was a voluntary out-of-school education program that targeted aspiring and high achieving Aboriginal students.