What is CREST?
Creativity in Research, Engineering, Science and Technology (CREST) is an educational program made available by CSIRO for students to develop and improve their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills. CREST supports teachers to facilitate inquiry learning in the classroom and provides scaffolded resources to enable students in Years K to 12 to undertake a science investigation or a technology project.
CREST Awards have been designed as an incentive to recognise student progress and achievement in inquiry learning. There are six award levels: Green, Orange, Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The awards are competency-based and are non-competitive. Students conducting a CREST inquiry may work alone or in a team of up to three students. Your registration provides access to all 6 levels of CREST Awards.
Green and Orange CREST Awards recognise students who complete structured or guided inquiries. Green inquiries are designed to suit a structured style of inquiry, in which the focus topic, aim, methods or processes, and anticipated outcome(s) of the inquiry are determined and directed by the teacher with students making limited choices. Orange inquiries are designed to suit a guided style of inquiry, in which the focus topic, and anticipated outcome(s) of the inquiry are determined and directed by the teacher with students making decisions on the aim, what methods and procedures to follow.
Green and Orange Topics include:
• Investigating Sunscreens (Green)
• Investigating Solar Energy (Green)
• Mathematics Building Blocks (Green)
• Investigating Flight (Green and Orange)
• Investigation Packaging (Green and Orange)
• Investigating UV Protection (Orange)
• Investigating Water Filtration (Orange)
• Mathematics Sunscreen - Body Surface Area (Orange)
Blue and Bronze CREST Awards recognise students who complete open inquiries, in which the student has defined the aim, methods or processes, and results of the inquiry, in negotiation with and facilitated by the teacher.
Blue stimulus topics include:
• Investigating Food Waste
• Investigating Water Pollution
• Investigating Tides
Silver and Gold CREST Awards recognise students who complete open inquiries. At these levels, students define and direct the terms of their inquiry, under the supervision of a teacher, and in some circumstances, a mentor (required for Gold level), the project topic the student nominates must be approved by the CREST Office. Both Silver and Gold CREST Awards involve some form of innovation in their design, methods, interpretation of data, or application, and take a minimum of 30 hours for Silver CREST Award inquiries, and 100 hours for Gold CREST Award inquiries.
The project is assessed by the student's teacher and mentor, as well as a CREST Officer for final approval.
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How do I register my school to use CREST?
Registration is by school, follow the relevant steps in the CREST Online Manual available for download at the top of this page.
A $55 fee, payable at the time of registration, covers the school for the whole calendar year, this provides you and any other teachers at the school who create a login with access to CREST Online for all students who are undertaking CREST projects.
For each year after initial registration, you will then need to extend the registration and pay an additional $20 fee.
If you are a home based education facility, you do not need to extend your registration to use CREST.
After you register, you will have immediate access to all functions on CREST Online.
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What if I can't find my school when I'm trying to register it?
This means we don't have your school's details on our database.
Please call us on free call 1800 626 646, or use the 'Contact us' link on the navigation bar and email through your school details.
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Is there a limit to how long I may use this site?
If you are a home based education facility, you only need to pay a one off registration fee to use CREST for as long as you require it.
However if you are a school, after you initially register to use CREST, you then need to extend your CREST access each calendar year.
Your registration needs to remain current to continue to access CREST.
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What do I do if I forget my password?
When you first signed on as a new CREST Online user, you were provided with a unique password in an email sent to you by our CREST Office.
This ensures your school's CREST details are only accessed by you and others you have authorised to use the site.
If you forget your password, you can select the 'Forgotten password' link on the 'LOG ON' screen and we will send a new unique password to your email address.
If you have forgotten your username please call us on free call 1800 626 646, or use the 'Contact us' link on the navigation bar and email through your details name and school.
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How do I access the information teachers need to know about CREST?
You can download the information about CREST once registered using the 'Download CREST material' link on the navigation bar.
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What details do I need to enter for CREST awards?
As Green and Orange awards are really an introduction to CREST for students, we don't require any details except how many have completed the award, who the teacher is and what project topic was undertaken.
However, Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold awards are associated with individual students and at minimum, student details and brief project description should be entered prior to a CREST project progressing. See page 12, 13 and 14 of the CREST Online Manual available for download from the top of this page.
For Silver and Gold awards, students are required to complete and submit for approval a project planner, at the gold level a mentor is required. You will need to include the name of the project, the student's mentor and project outcomes when the project is recorded as completed. See page 12, 13 and 14 of the CREST Online Manual available for download from the top of this page.
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How do I order student certificates and medallions?
Green and Orange stickers are issued, free of charge, once the number of completing students is entered in the 'Awards' section of CREST Online. See page 12 of the CREST Online Manual available for download from the top of this page. You can then download certificates for Green and Orange awards from the 'Download CREST materials' link on the navigation bar.
Certificates for Blue, Bronze, Silver and Gold awards will be emailed to the teacher at the school once you have recorded that the project has been completed and this has been confirmed by the CREST Team. See page 12, 13 and 14 of the CREST Online Manual available for download from the top of this page.
For Silver and Gold award recipients will also be sent a medallion. Optional medallions can be ordered for Blue and Bronze at a cost of $4.
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After registration, what costs are incurred for each award level?
Green, Orange, Blue and Bronze Awards are free with students receiving a certificate on completion of the inquiry. For Blue and Bronze teachers can order an optional medallion at a cost of $4.
Silver Awards incur a $10 fee and Gold Awards incur a $20 fee. Students completing these awards will receive a certificate and medallion on completion of the inquiry.
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My school prefers to pay by credit card. Is this catered for?
For your convenience, we have set up both a payment and an invoicing facility through CREST Online for payment of CREST registrations and extensions, and student awards.
By simply selecting the 'Credit Card' or 'Invoice' button on the screens where your CREST requirements are entered, you will either be taken through our easy to follow payment process, or will return to the 'Welcome page' following acknowledgement that you prefer to be billed.
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How will you let me know how much I owe if I elect to be invoiced?
You can access CREST Online and our payment and billing facility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
During normal business hours, we will run through all payment records and invoice requests from CREST Online and generate any invoices.
If you have been nominated as the key contact on behalf of the school, these will be emailed to you.
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