SCIFEST 2023 A REVIEW
Executive Summary 2023 marked the 18th year of the SciFest programme and the passing of a significant landmark: since its inception in 2006 over 100,000 students have now taken part in SciFest. Integral to these numbers is the SciFest@School level of the programme, and the 2022/23 academic year was a record-breaking one, with 104 schools hosting their own in-house SciFest@School fair. The strong growth of SciFest in 2023 has laid a perfect foundation for the 2023/24 academic year. The local SciFest@School strand appears poised for yet another year of record-breaking participation, with over 90 school fairs already registered by the end of December. At the regional level we were delighted to see that more than 3,000 students participated in the SciFest@College 2023 fairs, bringing the number of students involved in this strand back up to pre-COVID-19 levels. These significant increases emphasise the demand and indeed the need for greater access to inquiry-led learning in STEM. Every fair, event and experience of SciFest 2023 was unique and demonstrates a significant strength of the SciFest model, namely that there are opportunities for everyone, no matter their ability, background, gender or circumstance. Broadening the range of access and opportunities is vital to get young people engaged with STEM and to consider it for further study and as a potential career. This is our vision, and we are so grateful that our sponsors share this aspiration. Best Wishes, SciFest Founder and CEO
New in 2023 EirGrid Becomes SciFest Partner In February, SciFest was delighted to welcome EirGrid as a new SciFest Project Partner, joining Intel and Boston Scientific. Previously a Gold Sponsor, EirGrid's increased commitment is a major boost to the programme. As part of its increased support EirGrid provided a Cleaner Climate Award at all levels of the programme through to the National Final, a first for the SciFest programme.
New SciFest Team Member In October SciFest announced the appointment of a new Senior School Liaison Officer, Clare Atkinson. Clare is working closely with the Medtronic Foundation to bring SciFest to DEIS schools around Ireland. With our expanded team, SciFest continues to offer additional supports to teachers in DEIS schools which wish to run a fair for their students.
SciFest Founder and CEO Wins Women in STEM Mentor of the Year 2023 Award We are delighted to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Sheila Porter, the Founder and CEO of SciFest, on being awarded the prestigious title of “Women in STEM Mentor of the Year 2023." Sheila's remarkable dedication to promoting young people’s participation in STEM fields and her extraordinary mentorship efforts have made her a true trailblazer in the world of science and innovation.
New Sponsors and Supporters SciFest is privileged to receive support from the second and third-level education sectors, industry, and government. In 2023, Jazz Pharmaceutical joined the SciFest sponsor and supporter community. Dawn Meats became a SciFest Gold Sponsor in January 2023, and, as previously mentioned, EirGrid transitioned from Gold Sponsor to Partner. TechCentral.ie also joined as a supporter.
2
SciFest@School
113
SCIFEST@SCHOOL FAIRS HELD IN 2023*
This strand of the SciFest programme was launched in 2011 and has been growing rapidly ever since. A SciFest@School STEM fair can be hosted by a school at any stage in the academic year. Since the beginning of the 2023/2024 academic year, SciFest@School registration has accelerated and we greatly look forward to building on the momentum gained in SciFest@School through 2024.
SciFest@College SCIFEST@COLLEGE 2023 PARTICIPATION
3147 STUDENTS
SciFest@College fairs saw a major increase in engagment in 2023 with over 3,100 students from 216 schools submitting over 1470 projects! This is nearly double the participation rate of 2022 and back to prepandemic levels of engagement. In recognition of their achievement, all participating students qualified for a specially designed certificate. Selected winners had the opportunity to compete in the SciFest National Final in November 2023, adding further incentive to continue work on their project.
216 SCHOOLS
OVER 60% AVERAGE FEMALE PARTICIPATION IN SCIFEST@COLLEGE SINCE 2010 *Calendar Year
3
SciFest National Final 2023
SciFest STEM Champion 2023, Jack Shannon from Clongowes Wood College in Clane, Co. Kildare.
SciFest National Finalists 2023
The SciFest National Final took place on Friday 24 November in the Marino Conference Centre in Dublin and showcased the exceptional accomplishments in STEM of second-level students from across Ireland. The event was launched online the previous evening by Philip Smyth, Broadcaster and Science Communicator. On Friday, there was an incredible atmosphere in the hall as students from every corner of Ireland set up their projects and shared their innovative ideas with judges, teachers, their peers and our guests. The excitement built through the Awards Ceremony as each participant received an Excellence in STEM Award. Fifteen special awards were presented. The coveted SciFest STEM Champion 2023 Award was presented to Jack Shannon, a sixth-year student from Clongowes Wood College in Clane, Co. Kildare, for his project, 'Ireland’s Carbon Sinks – Remote Sensing for Monitoring Peatland Restoration'. For anyone who couldn't make the day, the National Final programme, along with the Awards Ceremony, student projects, STEM talks and much more, continues to be available on the dedicated National Final website, www.scifestfinal2023.ie.
SciFest on the International Stage SciFest STEM Champions 2022, Liam Waldron, Rachel Griffin and Luke O’Sullivan, students from Killarney Community College, Co. Kerry represented Ireland and SciFest at Regeneron ISEF 2023 which took place in Dallas, Texas, 14 May - 19 May. Regeneron ISEF is the world’s largest international pre-college science competition, involving some 1,600 students from 64 countries, regions and territories competing for a prize fund totalling $9 million. Liam, Rachel and Luke really enjoyed their experience and did SciFest, their school and Ireland proud. In July, two students from Ursuline College Sligo, Alex Scott and Anna Woodward, had the opportunity to visit the Berlin Long Night of Science in Germany as winners of the Berlin Long Night of Science Award at the SciFest National Final 2022. This incredible opportunity is supported and facilitated by the Department of Foreign Affairs through the Embassy of Ireland in Berlin.
4
SciFest STEM Champions 2022, Liam Waldron, Rachel Griffin and Luke O’Sullivan at Regeneron ISEF 2023, Dallas, Texas
Dr. Nicholas O'Brien, Ambassador of Ireland to Germany, Mr Anthony Carolan, Ursuline College, Sligo, John Lynam, Deputy Head of Mission, Alex Scott and Anna Woodward, Ursuline College, Sligo
Looking Towards 2024 SciFest 2023 was a very successful year for the programme and as we embark upon the new year, we eagerly anticipate the unfolding of opportunities and challenges that 2024 may bring. The increasing number of schools getting involved at SciFest@School level and the return to pre-Covid participation at regional level signify the growing interest and point towards a promising trend where SciFest is poised to impact even more students in 2024. The number of DEIS schools participating in SciFest is also growing rapidly enabling us to build greater equity into the programme as we continue to offer additional support to DEIS schools in the form of school visits, brainstorm workshops and bursaries. The programme’s incredible growth underscores the value of the accessibility and inclusion in STEM that SciFest offers to students and teachers alike. Empowering all students is central to SciFest's ambitions and we are immensely thankful for the invaluable support provided by our partners and sponsors, as they play an indispensable role in realising this goal.