Industry partnerships
The Game Changer Challenge has a demonstrated reputation for bringing together a peer group of world-leading technology, media and innovation partners and offering them a unique opportunity to engage directly with and mentor our society’s future innovators and leaders.
With a range of engagement options for partners, the GCC offers significant opportunities to have a real impact on the next generation of designers, innovators and leaders and the teachers who mentor them.
Expressions of interest are now open to join us on this game changing journey!
Expressions of interest
Expressions of interest are now open to join a panel of industry partners to support and mentor NSW students as they tackle this year's wicked problem. Join us on this game changing journey today!
Video: Industry partnerships
Duration 1:24
Be part of a team that
Helps close the equity gap for regional and rural schools
Supports teachers and develops cross-curricular resource aids
Led the introduction of design thinking methodologies into classroom settings
Helps turn winning, game changing ideas into a reality
Supports students to achieve real social impact in their schools and broader communities.
Partner benefits
Receive a personalised media kit with photos, suggested copy and digital assets to promote and publicise your involvement across your brand’s channels
A unique opportunity to connect with our executives and award-winning service-delivery teams
Join a peer group of media, innovation and mentorship experts
Access opportunities to engage with deeply-involved, motivated NSW public school students
Ask the Experts at The Exchange
The Exchange is a dedicated area at the grand final where students are encouraged to break out of their teams and learn alongside other students by engaging with industry partners to receive advice on their idea and learn skills. This is a less-structured approach to exchanging ideas and receiving advice that speaks to the openness of design thinking and finding inspiration in all interactions. By encouraging students to speak about their ideas, it also helps strengthen pitching and prototyping skills.
During the idea exchange experts can:
Introduce the new technology or skill
Educate students on how to use the technology or skill
Try out what they have learnt and receive feedback
Apply the technology or skill to the GCC
Ideas and Careers at The Exchange
New in 2023, the Game Changer Challenge grand final will host a careers expo for GCC students who have travelled from all over NSW to learn more about where their passions can take them. As an industry expert, you are a very trusted source of information for students.
This year we’re inviting partners from tertiary institutions and industry to talk informally with students about the breadth of careers opportunities out there. Passing on your knowledge to GCC students encourages them to maintain subjects through their schooling that align with their passions so that they may enter the next stage of their learning journey with confidence and an understanding of the professional opportunities available to them.
The Ideas & Careers showcase is about making career experiences available to students who otherwise may not know about the options available to them, so that they can make informed decisions about their futures.
Incubation experiences
Lumination incubation experience
Winners of the GCC’s Lumination Incubation Prize in 2022 were treated to some game changing experiences at Lumination’s Learning Labs in Sydney. The Lumination Learning Lab is a multi-purpose and immersive learning experience where students are able to engage in lessons that develop their understanding of creating livable cities and principles of sustainable development.
"Design thinking is a team based creative problem solving process that encourages mistakes and and failure, but also has an emphasis on empathy," Nicholas Tsaccounis, Graphics Technology teacher at Heathcote High School, said.
Teams from Heathcote High School, The Ponds High School and Gymea Technology High School were invited to enhance their GCC2022 solutions with artificial intelligence, virtual reality and augmented reality software.


"Hosting the winning schools from the Game Changer Challenge has been such a pleasure," Jonathan Kim Sing, Education Programs Manager at Lumination, said.
"The challenge showcases what design thinking is and why it's important to build skills like critical thinking, creativity and collaboration. It was amazing to see the students be able to take this to the next level using immersive technology."
Thank you to Lumination, a 2022 GCC Industry Partner, for their ongoing support and empowerment of Game Changers!
Mott MacDonald incubation experience
Winners of the GCC’s Mott MacDonald Incubation Prize in 2022 took part in an intensive, 1-day incubation program where they learned more about the design cycle and were encouraged to think big in an inspiring ideation session with mentors Mike Matthews-Stuart and Brian Dargan.
The Laughing Legends team from Leura Public School took part in the workshop designed by Mott MacDonald and hosted at the NSW Department of Education’s head offices in Parramatta.
“It is always an inspiration to work with such committed and engaged people,” Mike Matthews-Stuart, Technical Director at Mott MacDonald, said.
“We truly hope the Leura Public School team is able to build a lasting legacy and continue to make a positive impact on their community, which they are clearly already doing. Fantastic to be a small part of this great initiative.”


Leura Public School teacher Hannah Bucholtz said the workshop helped energise the students and focus the vision for their initiative.
“The post-challenge incubation opportunity has been such a unique and outstanding mentorship experience for our students. The Mott MacDonald team hosted a really impressive workshop and journey through the design cycle,” Ms Bucholtz said.
“Thank you to everyone who assisted in bringing this high calibre opportunity to fruition, and to the Mott MacDonald team for helping our Laughing Legends unlock the possibilities and dream big.”
Thank you to Mott Macdonald, a long-time GCC Industry Partner, for their ongoing support and empowerment of Game Changers!
Our 2023 partners


Contact
Contact the Business Engagement team at be@det.nsw.edu.au for more information, or if you would like to get your organisation involved!