Commissioner's Digital Challenge

The 2022 Commissioner’s Digital Challenge is open!

The ‘Commissioner’s Digital Challenge’ is a free recurring year-round digital challenge designed to engage children in learning foundational digital skills. The initiative came about after the Commissioner, Helen Connolly, asked South Australian children and young people what was important to them. They told her they wanted to learn as many digital skills as they could while they were still at school, so they could be ready for the jobs of the future.

Since its introduction in 2019, the Challenge has grown year on year with an estimated 37,912 South Australian school students completing one or all three digital challenges in 2021.  The three digital challenges on offer cover three key digital skills learning areas:

Learn to Speak Robot is a computational thinking challenge offering hundreds of step-by-step activities for students to choose from. Students who complete any four activities = challenge complete!

Space to Dream is a Mars-themed design thinking challenge that invites students to design a toy or gadget for a child their age who is ‘moving to Mars’. Former NASA astronaut, Pamela Melroy, provides the student introduction using examples from her personal experience of being in Space. Children can build a design using 3D tools supplied free by our Challenge Partners Makers Empire or simply draw their designs onto paper.

Zoom Out! is an introduction to systems thinking. The activities were created in collaboration with Grok Academy and are aligned to the Australian Digital Technologies curriculum. Students can complete the Zoom Out! digital challenge using items such as balloons, pens, paper and marbles, or complete an online series of micro-activities that guide them through the systems thinking process.

Who can take part?

The Challenge can be completed by students attending registered schools, through their local library, via a local community group such as Scouts and Girl Guides, or at home with family. Participation in the Challenge is not limited to South Australian children with a growing number of national and international students and their schools now participating.  

What digital skills are needed to facilitate?

A background in digital skills is not required and the Challenges do not rely on devices, or any special equipment, to be delivered. All that is needed is access to the Internet.

Registered South Australian schools are eligible for digital rewards made available by our Challenge Partners. Prizes for 2022 include a 3D printer, coding subscriptions, robotics kits, and a new website. Top-rated student entries for the Space to Dream Challenge will be featured in the 2022 Space to Dream exhibition that begins at the Australian Space Discovery Centre and travels to libraries throughout South Australia. For 2021 touring dates click here.