Opportunity for scientific skills to fulfil Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

The event for secondary school pupils across Ireland encourages young people to use the foundations of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to inspire new ideas and new ways of thinking about the world we live in. 

CSSC Head of Education Support Jayne Millar said, 

The BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition is an excellent opportunity for young people to develop their creative thinking in a range of areas, from social science to academic research; computer coding to renewable technologies. 

Having visited the exhibition this year and seen the sheer variety of projects on offer, there really is no limit to the STEM projects young people can undertake. 

CSSC would urge controlled schools to encourage their pupils to enter the competition.  The benefits in terms of developing knowledge, confidence and friendships are immense and, of course, many of the innovative teams of students go on to develop viable businesses as a result of entering the BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition.

Kate Thompson, Northern Ireland Director for The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award/Joint Award Initiative said, 

Pupils can now use their BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition project work to fulfil the skills section of their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, thanks to our new partnership with BT. 

I know from visiting the RDS to view the exhibition this year that the projects developed by young people were innovative, cutting edge and varied.  

Projects included everything from investigating the awareness of and extent of mental health issues within a student population in a school, to the development and testing of a simple, inexpensive wound dressing that indicated infection; a comparison of actual and perceived challenges faced by transgender students at a post-primary school to a proposal to design small, portable breathalysers. 

It was also clear that as well as the benefits of the project developed, participants also developed presentation and analytical skills, confidence and friendships across the Island of Ireland. 

I would urge all schools to take part as the benefits to the pupils, the school and the community are considerable. 

 

19 June 2018