A university open day unlike any other in Australia will be held at the University of the Sunshine Coast at Sippy Downs on Sunday 7 August from 10am to 2pm.

As well as campus tours, information sessions and the chance to chat one-on-one with academics and current students, USC’s open day will incorporate an exciting Imaginarium – a free community fun day designed to inspire the imagination.

Crowds of up to 8,000 have attended USC’s previous Imaginarium and Open Days, and a similar-sized crowd is anticipated this year.

Highlights will include entertainment by Triple J’s Unearthed winner Robbie Miller and Brisbane roots and funk outfit Fat Picnic, a circus workshop, a ‘Lab of Awesome’ with the latest gaming technology, competitions in building electric circuits, bridges and wacky machines, a wide range of food stalls, and plenty of games and activities for all ages.

The upcoming Olympics and Paralympics have prompted a range of sporting challenges – including going one-on-one in wheelchair basketball against London Paralympian Bridie Kean and testing your potential to become a champion runner or jumper – while the sounds of Rio will resound around a Brazilian drumming circle.

Those attending can also show their support for the dozen USC-based athletes who will compete in Rio by getting a selfie taken with USC’s armour-clad Spartans mascot.

And from elite athletes to super powers, Imaginarium has adopted a superhero theme this year as a way to encourage people to identify their personal strengths and talents. There will be student superheroes to meet, a chance to win a superhero transformation, superhero cards to collect and some super-sized challenges like a giant maze.

Imaginarium-goers dressed in superhero gear can also join in a “Big Hero Snap” to officially record the Sunshine Coast’s biggest ever collection of superheroes in one place.

USC’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Greg Hill said the superhero theme was an appropriate choice as it highlighted the transformative power of higher education provided by USC over the past two decades.

“Since opening in 1996, USC has helped transform the lives of tens of thousands of people, including 17,000 graduates and almost 12,000 current students. Our financial impact on the region and the state of Queensland has been estimated at $2.38 billion.

“Our superhero theme will spark the imaginations of children and adults alike, and resonate with prospective students who are seeking to match their individual strengths with careers.”

Professor Hill urged people to register ahead of the event for free Future Students Tours of USC’s state-of-the-art facilities, and on the day attend career planning workshops to gain insights, direction and practical tools to launch their future careers.

There will be information sessions on education; engineering and science; health, nursing and sport sciences; business, IT and tourism; law and criminology; creative industries; design and communication; humanities, psychology and social sciences; and pathways to university.

For more details about USC’s Imaginarium and Open Day, including a checklist on how to make the most out of the day, go to: www.usc.edu.au/imaginarium/

— Terry Walsh