SCIFEST September 2014
SciFest Ezine, Volume 6, Number 1
Participation in SciFest 2014 breaks all previous records 6059
Students
2594
Projects
243
Schools
417
Teachers
15
SciFest@College science fairs
35
SciFest@School science fairs
29
Counties
60%
Female students
98.5%
Of students said participating in SciFest was a worthwhile learning experience
100%
Of teachers said participating in SciFest was a worthwhile learning experience
Check out the website: www.scifest.ie. Celebrate science at SciFest In This Issue SciFest 2014 STEM Superstars
2
SciFest@SFI Discover Finalists
2
Boston Scientific joins SciFest
3
SEAI INESPO Finalists
3
SciFest@School
4
Coming up with an idea
5
Why should teachers get involved in SciFest
5
6 easy steps to a successful project 6 Contact details and resources
SciFest@College, IT Blanchardstown 2014
6
2
Introducing the SciFest STEM superstars of 2014
SciFest@College 2014 LIT SciFest@College 2014 IT Tralee—SFI Best Project Award winners
SFI Best Project Award winner
SciFest 2014 SFI Discover Best Project Award winners Venue
School
Teacher
Student
Project Title
AIT
Tullamore College, Riverside, Co. Offaly
Jillian Browne Cian Fogarty and John Tobin
Science and Sewage
CIT
Pobalscoil na Tríonóide, Youghal, Co. Cork
Crona McCarthy
Bobby McCarthy, Edmond O'Halloran and Oisín Keniry
AgriScan
NorthOakgrove Integrated College, West Gransha Park, Derry Derry
Christine Gilmore
Megan Duffy and Zoe McGirr
A seed harvesting kit for subsistence farmers in developing countries
DIT
Dominican College, Drumcondra, Dublin 9
Michael Moriarty
Kate Culligan and Clodagh Hunt-Sheridan
A research study of the X-ray properties of black hole binary stars
DkIT
St Vincent's Secondary School, Dundalk, Co. Louth
John White
Rachel Ní Dhonnachadha and Shannon Ní Dhonnachadha
Karate: the science of punching
GMIT
Mary Immaculate Secondary John Sims School, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare
Aisling O'Rourke
An examination of rock pool fish communities on shores north and south of Galway Bay
ITB
Willow Park School, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
Aoife Culhane
Ben Brown, Sean Hannon and Cian Dunne
The eradication of paper receipts
ITC
Avondale Community College, Rathdrum, Co. Wicklow
Aoife Sullivan
Mark Roche and Cormac Ward
Be on track with the BVD pack
ITS
Meán Scoil Muire gan Smál, Convent Rd, Roscommon
Padraig Harlow
Nicole Dolan and Erica Neilan
Use of ultrasonics for sterilisation in brewing and fermentation
ITT
Mount Anville Secondary School, Bernard Goatstown Road, Dublin 14 Crampton
Ria Reddy
Pure copper: the new soap solution?
IT St Brendan's College, Killarney, Marie Tralee Co. Kerry Vaughan
Jack Knoblauch, James Knoblauch Is there a future for micro-hydroelectricity in and Harry Knoblauch Ireland?
LIT
St Caimin’s Communtiy School, Shannon, Co. Clare
Deirdre McGrath
Aláine Ní Laoí
A comparison of flight strategy efficiency in raptors
LITTipp.
Coláiste Dún Iascaigh, Cahir, Co Tipperary
Rachel Burke
Kayleigh Bourke, Ceili Cowan and Do you get the MSG? Kenneth Conlon
LyIT
Our Lady's Secondary School, Castleblaney, Co. Monaghan
Kathyrn Higgins
Christopher Carragher
An electronic device to enhance independent living for those who suffer memory loss.
WIT
Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge, Baile Seán Mhic Gunair, Port Láirge Ó Catháin
Coill Ó Crotaigh
An investigation into the use of ash as an insulation
3
Boston Scientific joins SciFest as Project Partner
SciFest is delighted to announce
SciFest 2014 National Final SciFest@SFI Discover The SciFest 2014 National Final will take place on 7 November in the Marino Conference Centre, Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9. The SFI Discover Best Project Award winner/s from each of the 15 SciFest@College 2014 venues will be given the opportunity to present their projects to a team of judges, their teachers, parents and invited guests. The guest of honour at the awards ceremony will be Minister Damien English, TD. The prizes include: SciFest 2014 Grand Award. The recipients of this award will represent Ireland at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) in Pittsburgh in May 2015 The Berlin Long Night of Science Award The SEAI INESPO International Environment & Sustainability Project Olympiad (INESPO) Award
that Boston Scientific has joined SFI Discover and Intel Ireland as a SciFest project partner.
To celebrate the partnership a special medical devices award
The project report books of the 15
will be presented at the SciFest
regional SEAI Award winners were
national final in November.
recalled and 6 projects were selected by a panel of judges to present
A NEW AWARD, The Boston
their projects and compete at the
Scientific Medical Devices Award,
national final. The award is a new
Will be presented at each of the
award for SciFest 2014 and is being
15 SciFest@College 2015 venues. Additional information and a
SciFest 2014 SEAI Award winners with Aoife Cannon, SEAI
sponsored by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
PowerPoint presentation explaining what is meant by a medical
SciFest 2014 SEAI INESPO Finalists
device may be found on the
Venue
SciFest website.
CIT
sations that make the programme possible.
Claire Holland
Student/s Ellen Fitzgerald, Aoife Dolan and Niamh Nyhan
Project Non-integrated LED bulb
DIT
Paul Nugent
Carla Kaveh and Emma Wilson
The study of differences in level crossing waiting times along the Dublin DART line and their contribution to CO2 emissions
ITB
Willow Park School, Blackrock, Co Dublin
Aoife Culhane
Ben Brown, Sean Hannon and Cian Dunne
The eradication of paper receipts
ITS
St Nathy's College, Ballaghaderreen, Co. Roscommon
Oonagh Redmond
Diarmuid Geever
Rain: a free source of water?
IT Tralee
St Brendan's College, Killarney, Co Kerry
Marie Vaughan
Jack, James and Harry Knoblauch
Is there a future for micro-hydroelectricity in Ireland
NorthWest Derry
Oakgrove Integrated College, Gransha Park, Derry
Laura Corbett
Siofra Flynn, Eva O'Connell and Lauren Moran
Wind turbine investigations
acknowledges the contributions of all the companies and organi-
Teacher
Santa Sabina Dominican College, Sutton, Dublin
SciFest is entirely dependent on sponsorship and gratefully
School Sacred Heart Secondary School, Co Cork
4
SciFest@School Upcoming Events SciFest@School in St Andrew's College, Blackrock, Co. Dublin Wed, Nov 5th SciFest@School in Loreto Secondary School, St Michael's, Navan, Co. Meath Mon, Nov 10th SciFest@School in CBS RoscomSciFest@School Loreto College, St Stephen’s Green
SciFest@School SciFest@School in-school science fairs take place throughout the school year. During the 2013/2014 schools year a total of 35 schools ran inhouse SciFest science fairs.
mon, Abbeytown, Co. Roscommon Tue, Nov 11th SciFest@School in Skerries Community College, Skerries, Co. Dublin Wed, Nov 12th SciFest@School in Mount Anville Secondary School, Goatstown, Dublin 14
The first SciFest@School event of the current school year took place in St
Fri, Nov 14th
David's Holy Faith Secondary School, Greystones, Co. Wicklow on Mon-
SciFest@School in St Paul's Com-
day 6 October. With more than seventy second year projects on display it
munity College, Waterford
was difficult to select the winners in each category. Project titles included:
Fri, Nov 14th
'Brushbots', 'A homemade Van de Graaf', 'An Analysis of Shower Use'
SciFest@School in Blackrock Col-
and 'Is Left/Right Side an Issue with Animals'. Well done to all second
lege, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
year students and their science teachers. On 10 October Loreto College, St Stephen's Green hosted their third SciFest@School. Ninety-five TY students presented forty projects to the seven external judges. Again the standard was very high and project titles included: 'The treatment of common eye cysts using a heated electric eye patch', ‘The science of basketball' and ‘A study on conformity: Do you follow the herd?'. A number of schools have registered to host SciFest@School science fairs during November:
To learn more about SciFest@School and the wider SciFest programme please visit the website www.scifest.ie.
SciFest@School, St David’s Greystones—’Brushbots
5
Coming up with an idea Often the most difficult part of doing a science fair project is actually coming up with a workable idea. Don’t worry; the majority of students have exactly the same problem. What you must avoid doing is getting bogged down by the lists and lists of science fair project ideas that are available on the Internet. Remember you will be more passionate about, and interested in, something you have selected yourself. Check out the SciFest website: http://scifest.ie/resources SciFest@College IT Blanchardstown 2014
Why should teachers get involved in SciFest? SciFest participation provides an enriching experience not only for students but also for teachers by:
Facilitating a community of educators with similar goals and ideals
Providing online support and resources for teachers at www.scifest.ie
Supporting the teaching of the STEM subjects in the second-level curriculum
Raising the profile of science within the school and the community
Affording teachers the opportunity to visit the local third-level college, meet staff working in the STEM area and learn about the STEM-related courses available in the college
Creating valuable links between enterprise and the school
“Excellent event, as usual. My students thoroughly enjoyed it, it has really boosted the profile of science in our school” SciFest@College IT Carlow 2014
SciFest 2014 Quote from teacher
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Contact Us e: sheila.porter@scifest.ie e: george.porter@scifest.ie m: 086 379 6143 w: www.scifest.ie Please check the website regularly for updates Closing date for receipt of entries to SciFest@College 2015 is: Friday 13 March 2015
A wide range of resources may be found on the SciFest website These include:
A SciFest STEM Fairs Toolkit to support teachers and students in developing projects and to support schools in organising a SciFest@School science fair
2 student modules: ‘A Beginner’s Guide to doing a SciFest Project’ and a ‘Transition Year module - Science by Inquiry’
SciFest - Why Get Involved
SciFest Support Panel
SciFest Testimonials
SciFest National Final 2011 project abstracts
SciFest National Final 2012 project abstracts
SciFest National Final 2013 project abstracts
Science Fairs in Ireland - Information for Teachers all you need to know about participating in a science fair in Ireland
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