SciFest is back: the stage is set at IT Sligo for hundreds of students who will battle it out at SciFest’s regional finals on Wednesday, 9 May, at the Knocknarea Arena. Approximately 368 students from across the North West will exhibit more than 150 projects in hopes of wooing the judges and progressing to the prestigious Boston Scientific Medical Devices Grand Award at the national final in November.
About SciFest
IT Sligo is one of 16 regional science fairs taking place across the country, illustrating a surge in STEM popularity among second-level students in Ireland.
Dr Bill Crowe, SciFest@IT Sligo organiser, said he expects this year’s event to follow-on from the success of 2017 which saw the largest number of participants and projects ever and the eventual national winner.
He said: “IT Sligo has been successfully hosting a SciFest@College science fair each year since 2008. As always, the projects entered by the students are impressive, engaging and thought-provoking. It’s evident from the high standard of research that goes into projects each year that second-level students from across the region are passionate about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).”
The SciFest science fairs programme is a national initiative founded in 2006 to encourage a love of STEM through active, collaborative, inquiry-based learning. The programme offers an innovative way to expose students to, and enhance their understanding of, STEM subjects.
Response
Sheila Porter, SciFest CEO said: “2017 was the tenth anniversary for SciFest and a hugely successful year with another big increase in the number of students taking part. In total 10,000 students exhibited their projects in local and regional STEM fairs across the country. We are sure that 2018 will be another successful year. SciFest gives students an excellent opportunity to develop their interest in STEM and inquiry-based approaches to learning, while developing their creative and problem-solving skills and learning to work in a team.”
For more information you can contact Bill Crowe, IT Sligo – crowe.bill@itsligo.ie or go to www.scifest.ie.
