Local schools compete for BT Young Scientist

Taoiseach's words of encouragement for BTYSTE 2022 students

Six projects by students from Cavan are among dozens of entries at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2022.

Now in its 58th year, the Exhibition will showcase some of Ireland’s brightest young minds as they compete to take home the highly acclaimed title of BT Young Scientist & Technologist(s) of the Year when the competition launches online tomorrow, Wednesday-Friday, January 12-14.

Judging will commence tomorrow morning with this year’s projects spanning a wide array of topics from health and Covid-19 to climate and sustainability, across the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and maths.

Speaking ahead of this year’s exhibition, Taoiseach Micheál Martin gave some words of encouragement.

“Our students never fail to impress year on year, and I want to thank each and every one of them for the time and effort they have put in. As Taoiseach, I am proud to say that people working in STEM in Ireland are changing the face of the world we live in every day. As a Government we want to further strengthen and deepen the role and profile of STEM learning.”

Cavan Projects

Projects from Cavan include three from students attending Colaiste Dun an Ri in Kingscourt, and one each from students at Breifne College, St Patrick’s College and Loreto College, Cavan Town.

They include a study of 'How has rubbish disposal increased or decreased in the past five years and what are the causes', a group entry by students at Breifne College in the Biological and Ecological category; a study by a group of students from Colaiste Dun an Ri into 'The Impact Social Media had during the Covid-19 Pandemic' (Social and Behavioural Sciences); and an examination of 'How the opinions and behaviour of other people influence how humans think and perform' by a pupil attending St Patrick’s College (Social and Behavioural Sciences).

Projects from Cavan also include a study by a group of students attached to Colaiste Dun an Ri on 'The effect of different coloured lights on Phototropism' (Biological and Ecological); with another group from the same school comparing 'Anti-bacterial sprays vs. Anti-bacterial wipes' (Biological and Ecological).

Finally, am individual project from Loreto College has studied 'The Effectiveness of Various Low Cost Options to Improve Indoor Air Quality' (Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences).

Monaghan Schools

Schools in neighbouring Co Monaghan make up eight entries.

Our Lady’s Secondary School has looked at 'The Physics Behind Freekicks'; Largy College 'Which Sanitizer Is Best For You?'; and St. Macartan’s College 'An Investigation into the Physics of Gaelic Football'.

There are three entries from students at St. Louis Secondary School- An investigation into the gendered nature of Irish apprenticeships; Need or Belief? Do students actually need energy drinks to give them energy or is believing that they have energy all they need?; The effects of music on exercise performance on teenage girls; and two more from Patrician High School- How much bacteria are on our Computers?; The Effects of Different Energy Drinks on Our Body.

Other local schools

Elsewhere, among the five entries from schools in Leitrim are two from Mohill Community College- Unearthing the hidden potential of Irish dung beetles; Aphodius Fimetarius, Aphodius Prodromus and Aphodius Fossor; Can wind turbine blades be made more eco friendly and cost efficient?; and of the five in Longford, three are attributed to Ardscoil Phadraig- Comparing a reusable battery versus a single use battery; Sleep 2 music ?; and We recycle we just don’t throw away,The story of coffee pods.

In Meath meanwhile, St Ciaran’s Community School in Kells has looked at 'Electicity Powered Jet Engine'; with Eureka Secondary School students examining 'How Does Technology Affect Our Brains?' and 'Has lockdown affected young girls fitness levels'.

Shay Walsh, managing director, BT Ireland, said that by simply creating their project idea, researching and posing a conclusion, students have all earned the titles of scientists, engineers, mathematicians and technologists.

“I would encourage everyone across the country and beyond to register for the Exhibition and to see for yourselves how the bright minds of today are shaping the world of tomorrow.”

Registration for the public is open at https://portal.btyoungscientist.com and further details can be found at www.btyoungscientist.com.