The Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance, or STELR, course provides colourful, interactive equipment for Year 10 students to experiment with different ways of generating solar and wind energy.

It was developed by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and is now taught at 187 schools nationally.

Corrimal High science teacher Tanya Sullivan said the program would inspire her students and help them solve "real world" issues.

"Kids want to come into the classroom and be able to do exciting stuff, and if we're still using equipment from 50 years ago then they won't be as excited about science," she said.

"This type of engineering and science, especially renewable energy, is the future and we need scientists working in this field and a lot more research being conducted."

The importance of encouraging more students to study science subjects was highlighted last week when Australia's Chief Scientist Ian Chubb released the results of a study on science enrolments at universities.

The study found science enrolments between 2002 and 2010 increased less than other degree areas and that more than half of science students only studied core subjects like mathematics, physics and chemistry in their first year of university.

"We need a growing pool of science graduates to ensure Australia will be able to continue to compete on the international stage and develop scientific solutions to problems facing our nation," Professor Chubb said.

Corrimal High principal Mark King said the STELR program helped make science attractive to Year 10 students before they chose subjects to study for their Higher School Certificate.

"Providing these resources and making science engaging and interesting in the junior years allows us to build the core of all students going on to university and TAFE and then provide all the job generation that Australia will need later on," he said.

Year 10 student Jack Hummel was excited about the new science unit because it was about solving a practical problem. He said he had already decided to follow a career in chemistry.

"We can't rely on fossil fuels forever, we need to find new ways to make energy and we need ways that won't harm the ozone layer and keep the environment clean," he said.

"You hear a lot of kids that say 'I hate science, it's boring and all we do it write stuff down' but I'm a hands-on person and like when we can get in there and actually do things."