Allen Dickson is an educator & speaker with a passion for ensuring learning is innovative, practical and enjoyable. For over 20 years he has combined classroom teaching with appointments in various extra-curricular organisations where he uses a diverse range of skills to instil confidence, extend abilities and initiate change in classrooms. A regular with G.A.T.E.WAYS since 2012, Allen also runs his own educational consultancy – RethinkPD – where he speaks on a range of specialist issues (literacy, numeracy, thinking curricula, extension and enrichment, etc) both in schools and at conferences around the country.

Along with extensive Secondary teaching experience, Andrew has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters of Teaching. He brings extensive knowledge and skills to his G.A.T.E.WAYS workshops, with a passion for relating Maths to everyday life. With the right approach, he strongly believes that every student can thrive in Maths, with algebra and statistics being his favourite areas to unpack with students. Outside of the classroom, Andrew is a very enthusiastic AFL fan and loves reading and exercise. In his workshops, Andrew looks forward to challenging you and providing an opportunity to improve your Mathematical thinking skills.

Ben has nearly two decades of experience working in technology and related fields. He brings that experience to his long held passion for teaching children. He uses this Digital Technologies and Maths background to develop fun and engaging workshops that are anchored in real-world STEM based scenarios.

Cameron Semmens is an award-winning poet, entertainer and poetry educator with 21 books to his name and 27 years’ experience of sharing on the stage and the page. He makes his living through words: running workshops, de-signing books and performing live. He lives in the foggy, ferny forests of the Dandenong Ranges with his two young kids, Spencer and Mieka.

Jacob has completed a Bachelor of Aviation and a Masters of Teaching at the University of Melbourne. He is passionate about mathematics, digital technologies, positive education, and restorative justice. He believes firmly in firing imagination and inspiring interest in hands-on STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Jacob enjoys balancing his time between being outdoors on camping trips and plugging in to a variety of video games for enjoyment. He is looking forward to sharing his experiences, and creating exciting new learning opportunities.

Sean M Elliott is a writer and educator who has been working in science communication since 2001. He has written and presented education sessions for schools and community groups, and has worked for groups such as Museum Victoria, CSIRO, and Edinburgh International Science Festival. Sean has worked on science television shows, including scripting "Physics House" on ABC TV, and as a segment producer on "Scope" on Network Ten. He regularly runs holiday programs and science club events that have a strong focus on STEM skills. Sean lives in Melbourne with his son, and his favourite planet is Saturn.

Tim Byrne has been stuck on simple machines since he first worked at Scienceworks years ago. He hopes one day to move on to more complex machines like his printer, which often stops working for no apparent reason. He has a collection of simple machines and enjoys sharing and analysing their many talents. His favourite simple machine is a third class lever or straw broom that sends an egg flying into the air only to be saved by a glass of water. It still amazes him every time it works.

Tony is a motivational and dynamic presenter who has been involved in primary education for close on 40 years. As a classroom teacher, ICT Coordinator, Gifted and Talented teacher, Deputy and Head of School, Tony has a great interest in how children learn and he has a real passion for teaching STEM and in particular Mathematics and Coding. Always paramount in his planning and delivery is the relevance and connection of the tasks to today’s primary students. Over the past two decades he has published student and teacher texts on the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics for the middle and senior primary years. Tony has also taught coding and programming in other G.A.T.E.WAYS programs.

Dannika Patterson is a Brisbane-based author and presenter with degrees in psychology and journalism. She has written numerous books for children including Jacaranda Magic, Scribbly Gum Secrets, Zoom and Hedgehog the Wonder Dog. Her children's book titles are used widely as resources in Australian homes & schools, helping open relatable conversations about important topics. Dannika enjoys visiting schools, libraries & festivals to share her books and story-driven workshops, where she uses her skills to educate, empower and inspire children in a warm, joyful way.

Murray’s an engineering technologist from Toowoomba with a background in education, manufacturing, retail, hospitality, permaculture, construction and technical writing. While living in Brazil, he created and delivered a series of sustainable development workshops for school children and taught English. Since then, Murray has been expanding into STEAM education with a particular interest in critical and creative thinking. His 2024 book A Forest Child Adventure: Conquering Carbon Chaos fuses powerful poetry and detailed drawings in a cross-curricular resource for all ages teaching systems thinking and wellbeing. www.aforestchildadventure.com In his spare time, Murray is producing an animated film based on this book. He’s the organiser of Creatives Community in Brisbane, plays a shakuhachi, and dabbles in traditional arts and crafts.

Yvonne Mes is a contradiction; she is both book creator and book devourer. After a long career working with children of all ages, abilities and from diverse background, Yvonne writes and illustrates stories for children with curious minds. She loves to write both fiction and nonfiction and her books have been published in Australia and internationally. Her latest nonfiction picture book is The Opal Dinosaur published by CSIRO and illustrated by Sylvia Morris. Two of her picture books have been shortlisted for the Speech Pathology Book of the Year Awards. She is studying a Master of Arts in Writing and Literature. Yvonne has over 20 years of experience working with children of all ages, abilities and cultures. She has a Bachelor of Children's Services and qualifications in Professional Children's Writing and Visual Arts.