General News
11 November, 2025
Maroona students gear up for Energy Breakthrough
EXCITEMENT is building in Maroona as students make their final preparations for this year’s Energy Breakthrough event in Maryborough.
For teacher Blake Luehman and his team of 14 students, it’s been a major project that has taken shape across the entire school year.
“It still feels like we’ve got so much to do, to get ready for it,” Mr Luehman said.
“But we’ve been doing it pretty much all year. So quite a big undertaking.”
The Energy Breakthrough program provides opportunities for students, teachers, parents and local industry to work together to design and construct a vehicle, machine or innovation in technology that represents an ‘energy breakthrough’.
Teams are judged across three areas, Design and Construction, Display and Presentation, and Trials, encouraging an all-round effort that blends creativity, technical skill, and teamwork.
“The kids absolutely love it. They talk about it all year,” Mr Luehman said.
“As soon as they come to school in term one, they’re like, ‘When do we get started on this?’ Which is really good.”
Throughout the year, students work within specifications to design, build, and test their machines, while exploring the latest technology and its environmental impacts.
“There’s a lot of time for creativity, collaboration,” Mr Luehman said.
Designing a vehicle that fits every student has also been part of the challenge.
“It’s a bit of a challenge at times to fit the different sizes of kids that you have in there,” he said.
“Luckily, we got an adjustable crank foot in. We still have to utilise a bit of foam to support them, push them forward so they can reach.”
This year's design has the kids' safety in mind,
“We’ve got a hard outer shell, which I think is a bit safer for them because they do go pretty quick around the track at the end of the day.”
Training has involved the whole community, with parents helping out and locals pitching in to create a safe space for practice.
During the school holidays, part of Helendoite Road was closed off by parents and locals for a training session, giving students a chance to get out and try out the trike.
“Previously to that, we’ve been just coming to the velodrome and practising bike riding,” Mr Luehman said.
As the big event approaches, the team is feeling confident and eager to perform.
“Everyone’s doing their bit, they’ll do their best. I think they’ll do well.”
Read More: Maroona