St Andrew’s Anglican College wins two international titles at Tournament of Minds Finals

St Andrew’s Anglican College has claimed two International Championship titles and two second-place Honours awards at the Tournament of Minds International Finals in Darwin.

The College’s Primary Language Literature and Primary STEM teams were crowned International Champions, while Secondary Social Science and Secondary Arts received second-place Honours. The Primary Social Science and Secondary STEM teams were also recognised as International Finalists.

The results place St Andrew’s, based in Peregian Springs, among the leading performers at the international competition, which brought together students from across Australia and overseas, including New Zealand, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

The Primary Language Literature team's victory was particularly notable, marking the second consecutive year St Andrew’s has won the International Championship in this category.

St Andrew’s Principal Karen Gorrie said the results reflected the value of providing students with opportunities to apply their learning in challenging and unfamiliar situations.

“Tournament of Minds gives students the opportunity to take their knowledge beyond the classroom, think independently and work through complex problems where there is no obvious answer,” she said.

“What is particularly impressive is the way our students approach these challenges. They demonstrate curiosity, initiative and a willingness to explore different perspectives, while learning to trust their own ideas and the contributions of others. To have all six teams reach the International Finals is an exceptional achievement. We are very proud of every student involved and grateful to the coaches who have invested so much time in preparing and supporting them.”

At the International Finals, students faced a three-hour-and-ten-minute lockdown challenge, requiring them to develop and present solutions to complex Long Term and Spontaneous Challenges under time pressure.

For Secondary student Telahlee, who has participated in Tournament of Minds every year since Year 4, the competition has provided opportunities to develop friendships and connections well beyond the College.

“Tournament of Minds has been a big part of my life. I've met so many incredible people, both at St Andrew’s and outside of it. I've made connections across different states and even different countries,” she said.

St Andrew’s also acknowledges the support of Sunshine Coast Council, with a number of students successfully securing grants to help fund their travel to Darwin. This assistance helped make participation in the international competition more accessible and enabled students to represent the Sunshine Coast on an international stage.