More than 7500 high school students, including those in the Riverina, will be able to take part in the new STEM on Track partnership between the Inland Rail Skills Academy and the University of Newcastle.

The $700,000 investment will see 35 Science and Engineering Challenge events and four 10-day Science, Mathematics and Real Technology tours take place in regional communities between Brisbane and Albury.

The university's Director of Science and Engineering Challenge Steven Weller said the initiative would focus on all ages.

"It will deliver three things, with the first being a set of challenge activities for high school students in years 9 and 10, then there's the SMART program for primary-aged children," he said.

"The other important benefit is the delivery of some teacher development activities to help educators gain confidence in teaching STEM subjects at school."

Kooringal Rotary member and regional chairman of science and engineering Trevor Webb helps facilitate the activities, and said the experience was both important and fun.

"We're trying to change the perception around these subjects for kids to help them make that important choice heading into years 11 and 12," he said.

"This is a hands on experience to give them a taste of engineering or science."

One student participating in the first challenge was Wagga High's year 10 student Oliver Gunter.

"There are so many opportunities for STEM-based jobs in the future, and this gives us a bit of experience with what options we have heading into the real world," he said.