Regional Students Crack the Quantum Code at Tech Camp

The hum of laptops and the click of code filled a classroom in Albury this October, as regional high school students unravelled the mysteries of quantum computing at Sydney Quantum Academy’s annual Quantum Tech Camp. 

Now in its fourth year, the three-day program (1–3 October 2025) brought together 50 students from across News South Wales, 28 in person, including students from Deniliquin, and 22 joining online, all supported by SQA scholarships. 

Cracking the Quantum Code 

Guided by Dr Chris Ferrie, Associate Professor of Quantum Information at the University of Technology Sydney, science author, and co-founder of Eigensystems (the company behind Quokka Quantum) students tackled the building blocks of the quantum world. 

They learned to think like coders and physicists, exploring qubits, superposition, and entanglement while building the foundations of classical computer science through Scratch. Using the handheld Quokka Quantum emulator, they applied variables, loops, probability, and quantum gates to create their own games — transforming abstract quantum principles into something they could see and play with. 

“I found the game programming activity really fun,” said Albury student Dylan Bolger. “It amplified my understanding of quantum gates and applications beyond what we were taught.” 

Alongside the coding challenges, students explored the fast-emerging career pathways in Australia’s quantum sector — a field projected by CSIRO to be worth $6 billion and generate nearly 20,000 jobs by 2045.  

“It’s a very new field and I hadn’t heard too much about it,” said Max Ferguson, who attended in Albury. “I wanted to get an insight into the world of quantum.” 

Max and his classmate Ano Maunganidze were drawn to the camp by a recommendation from their teacher. “I had heard about quantum in movies and stuff,” said Ano. “It seemed cool – so I wanted to learn what it is really like.”

Students also heard from leading researchers and industry professionals, including Prof Peter Turner (SQA/Macquarie University), Dr Jemy Geordy (Archer Materials/SQA Alum), Prof Jared Cole (RMIT), Dr Danielle Holmes (UNSW), Dr Christina Giarmatzi (Macquarie University), Questacon’s Patrick Helean and SQA PhD scholars Varun Srivastava (Macquarie University), Soumik Mahanti (UTS), Subhashish Barik (UNSW). 

Hands-On Learning, Measurable Impact 

The camp didn’t just spark curiosity it shifted how students thought about the field. 

Post-camp surveys showed awareness of careers in quantum technology jumped from 8% to 67%, while those reporting “quite a lot” of knowledge about quantum rose from 2% to 24%, and those with a “great deal” of knowledge increased from 4% to 9%. 

“The results really show the camp’s impact,” said Professor Peter Turner, SQA CEO. “Seeing regional students excited about the possibilities ahead is exactly why we bring these experiences beyond Sydney.” 

“It really helped expand my understanding of the field and provided insights into what quantum might look like in the future,” said Hemakshi Kesani, an online participant. “It’s a great way to learn about the industry and opportunities.” 

Students also appreciated hearing how experts had broken into the field themselves. “It was insightful to see the variety of jobs and how people got to this position,” said Lanah Jayakrishnan, an online participant.

Bringing Quantum to the Regions 

Teachers say the benefits extend well beyond the three days. 

“For students from a town of just over 7,000 people, it’s vital they’re exposed to opportunities like this,” said Tanya Momot, Head Teacher of Mathematics and Computing at Deniliquin High School. “It shows them that careers in cutting-edge fields such as quantum technology are within reach.”  

Among the participants, 34% identified as female, with representation from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.   

“As a person of Indigenous descent, it’s great to have the opportunity to learn more about quantum,” said Albury student Braithe Ingram. “I want to be able to teach people what I’ve learnt — from coding to how quantum computers are made.” 

From exploring superposition and entanglement to discovering how a quantum chip is built, the camp gave students more than a glimpse of the future — it showed them that they could play a role in shaping it. 

The camp was delivered by SQA in partnership with Quokka Quantum.

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