St Killian's has eye on Young Scientist win

The prestigious event for post-primary students will take place at the RDS, in Dublin, from January 10 until January 13.

The overall winner will take part in the European Union Contest for Young Scientist in 2018.

In the last competition, students from County Antrim were shortlisted as finalists.

These included pupils from St. Killian’s College, in Carnlough. Teacher Sean Connolly won the Analog Educator Excellence Award.

In 2015, St. Killian’s won three awards - Best NI School Award; NI Best Project Award and came second in a senior group award.

The launch of this year’s competition took place at a Sci-Tech Workshop in Belfast hosted by David Meade and co-ordinated by BT, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) and Belfast Metropolitan College. The workshop was designed to “invigorate, inspire, and engage students and teachers alike in STEM subjects”.

David Meade said: “This world class exhibition allows students to use their imaginations to turn what they are learning in class each day into a fantastic idea and the exhibition can be, and has been, the starting point of a bright and brilliant future for many young people, allowing them to pursue exciting careers in STEM.

“I’ve met some fantastic students this week and would strongly encourage these young people, as well as young people from County Antrim, to enter the 2018 BTYSTE.”

Mairead Meyer, Managing Director of Networks at BT in Northern Ireland, added: “At BT, we’re proud to be entering our 18th year as organiser and sponsor of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition.

“The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition is about much more than science. It allows young people to explore the world around them and discover what excites and interests them. This is what the BTYSTE is all about, creating the building blocks for the future generation of STEM leaders.

“As one of the longest standing exhibitions of its kind in the world, the future careers of many young people really have started at the BTYSTE and BT would like to encourage all teachers and pupils in schools across Northern Ireland to sign up to take part in this year’s competition. We’ve met some brilliantly gifted students at the workshop and whatever their aspirations, all they need is a great idea so we’re encouraging them to enter and see their own personal discovery come to life.”

Justin Edwards, Chief Executive of the CCEA also commented: “In today’s rapidly changing world, we need to make sure that our young people and teachers have the knowledge and understanding they need.

“Initiatives, such as the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition, are so important in addressing this need. They create a space for teachers and students to work together to explore new ideas and to think about how to apply what they do in class to real life scenarios.”

The closing date for entries to this year’s competition is September 25 2017.

For more information on the exhibition and details on how to enter, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com or follow BTYSTE on Facebook and Twitter.