SciFest@College-16 Regional Venues

past pupils in the exciting changes that are taking place in the teaching and learning of science.

A SciFest@School can be cross-curricular and reach out to other departments. In a SciFest@School in Lanesboro Community College in November the first year home economics students put together and served an excellent lunch of sandwiches, various salad dishes and home-made cakes to the judges. In Coláiste Chraobh Abhann TY art students designed a banner which stretched almost the full length of the exhibition hall. A SciFest@School provides an opportunity for TY students to practise their events management skills and act as mentors for younger students. In CBS Roscommon each year the TY students put on a super interactive science show for their first and second year students and for the pupils from the local primary schools.

For further information check out the SciFest website: SciFest@School

Each year the standard of projects exhibited gets better and better. The innovation and the creativity on display even at school level is a testament to the hard-work and dedication put in by the students and their teachers. SciFest proves that when students engage with STEM outside the classroom they bring their learning to a new level and produce amazing results.

For further information check out the SciFest website: SciFest@College

SciFest@College Takes Place at 16 Regional Venues

SciFest@School

Roll of Excellence continued

 Jesus and Mary College, Goatstown, Dublin 14  Ardscoil Mhuire, Mackney, Ballinasloe, Co. Galway  Stratford College, Zion Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6  Glenstal Abbey School, Murroe, Co. Limerick  The Donahies Community School, Dublin 13  Our Lady's School, Terenure, Dublin 6W  Castlepollard Community College, Co. Westmeath  The High School, Zion Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6  Temple Carrig S.S., Blacklion, Greystones, Co. Wicklow  Mount Sackville Secondary School, Chapelizod, Dublin 20  St Mary's College, Arklow, Co. Wicklow  Christian Brothers Grammar School, Omagh, Co. Tyrone  Fingal Community College, Swords, Co. Dublin  St Joseph's College, Thurles, Co Tipperary  Holy Child Secondary School, Killiney, Co. Dublin  Manor House School, Raheny, Dublin 5

By the end of June sixteen regional SciFest@College science fairs will have taken place in the current school year. Local SciFest@School science fairs take place anytime throughout the year but the regional ones generally take place from April to June. Fourteen of these are hosted by the Institutes of Technology, one by DCU and one by St Mary’s College in Derry. All of the fairs are now complete except St Mary’s College in Derry which is on 22 June.

Online entry to SciFest@College was available to all venues for the first time this year after being piloted in two colleges last year. The rollout of the system was very smooth with only a few minor issues experienced; these will be addressed before next year. The option of paper entry was retained to cater for those who might not have access to the internet. Overall to date 90% of the entries were received online; entries to WIT were the exception where just 54% of entries were online. It is intended to retain paper entries for the time being.

Participation in SciFest helps students develop the skills sets essential for the next generation of creative problem solvers and entrepreneurs.

SciFest@College 2016 @ITB—Intel Award winners Akhil Pramod and Armand Bratulescu from Castleknock College, D 15

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