SciFest Ezine, Volume 11, Number 4, April 2020

Volume 11, Number 4

April 2020

Breaking News Sci fest@ Coll eg e 2020 i s n ow Onl in e

Over 3,000 second-level students who registered for SciFest 2020 are being asked to upload their projects online for judging for this year’s 15th annual SciFest@College competition. In line with recommendations and advice from the HSE, the SciFest regional finals that usually take place in 16 venues in the Institutes of Technology, TU Dublin, DCU and St. Mary’s College, Derry, will continue online in the wake of the Covid19 closure of schools, ITs and universities.

Inside this issue:

To participate in SciFest@College 2020 Online students need to complete an online form and submit their project report books as well as supplementary material to www.scifest.ie for online judging by Thursday, 14th May 2020.

Parents, teachers and students are asked to check the HSE web-

site regularly for updates and to adhere strictly to the advice given.

SciFest@College Online: Health and Safety

2

Regeneron ISEF, Broadcom MASTERS and The Big Bang 2020

2

Massive Increase in Participation in SciFest@School

3

SciFest STEM School Award Recipients

3

SciFest Partners and Sponsors

4

Contact Details

4

VOLUME 11, NUMBER 4

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S c i F e s t @ C o l l e g e o n l i n e : h e a lt h a n d S a f e t y Group Projects: Students presenting group projects should check the HSE website regularly for updates and adhere strictly to the advice given. Current HSE advice requires that students do not travel to each other’s homes to work on their project. All collaboration must be either online or by phone. Note that only one member of the group needs to upload the project to the website.

Practical Work: Participation in SciFest@College 2020 Online does not

require a student to carry out practical work in their home that is normally carried out in a school laboratory setting, nor should they undertake such activities. Any practical activities that they do undertake must be safe and must be carried out under the appropriate supervision of a responsible adult.

R e g e n e ro n I S E F, t h e B roa d c o m M a s t e r s a n d b i g ba n g 2 0 2 0 The Society for Science & the Public and Regeneron contacted SciFest last week to say that, based on their comprehensive evaluation of guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control related to the COVID19 outbreak, they had made the difficult decision to cancel the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2020.

Following closely was a second email from Broadcom MASTERS to say that the Broadcom MASTERS International Programme 2020 was also cancelled. Both events were due to take place in Anaheim, California, in May. We are very disappointed for our ISEF finalists, Timothy McGrath and Alice Shaughnessy, for Orna Collins who was selected to attend the Broadcom MASTERS and for Miriam Murphy who as winner of the SciFest 2019 Specsavers Award was to attend the Big Bang in Bermingham in March (also cancelled). We know they were all very much looking forward to meeting and competing with their peers from around the world. We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge their achievement and, all being well, we look forward to meeting them again at the SciFest 2020 national Final in November.

“Coronavirus means that all

schools, ITs and universities will be closed for the coming weeks, which is a great disappointment for all of us involved with SciFest.

We want to encourage students to continue to work on their projects in the coming weeks in preparation for the regional finals and submit their projects online for judging. With over 3,000 students having signed up for SciFest@College prior to the COVID-19 restrictions, we want to facilitate this learning opportunity in as much as is possible and we know from speaking to students, teachers and parents that they are eager to participate, and ensure students can take part in the SciFest National Final in November.

We appreciate that this is not an ideal situation and that these measures won’t be available to all students, but this will allow us to continue this year’s competition, supporting as many students as possible, despite the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in.

We would like to thank our partners across higher education, our judges and our sponsors for their assistance in helping SciFest@ College go online.”

Sheila Porter, SciFest Founder and CEO

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SCIFEST

EZINE

Massive increase in participation in SciFest@School Up until the schools closed on 12 March 106 schools had confirmed the date for their SciFest@School STEM fair. This compares with a total of 81 schools that hosted a SciFest@School STEM fair last year. Of the 106 schools 77 had already hosted their fairs before the schools closed.

SciFest@School St Mary’s Holy Faith, Killester, Dublin

SciFest@School Scoil Pól, Kilfinane, Co. Limerick

For further information on SciFest@School visit www.scifest.ie or contact info@scifest.ie

SciFest@School Coláiste Chraobh Abhann, Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow

SciFest@School Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone, Co. Westmeath, primary school section

SciFest STEM School Award recipients since the last edition of the SciFest Ezine

The Donahies Community School, Dublin 13 and St Mary’s CBS, Portlaoise, Co. Laois

Contact Us e: info@scifest.ie m: 086 379 6143 w: www.scifest.ie

Visit the SciFest website, www.scifest.ie for resources intended to support teachers mentoring students for participation in SciFest@College STEM fairs.

SciFest

is supported by

The Institutes of Technology, TU Dublin, City, TU Dublin, Blanchardstown, TU Dublin, Tallaght, DCU, St Mary’s College, Derry