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St Colman's College pupils Ronan Scullion and Laochra Hill will be in Dublin this weekend showcasing their project at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. The boys are finalists in the annual competition with their project which comes up with a novel way to tackle the blue-green algae issue in Lough Neagh.
'An 'egg'citing way to treat phosphate run off in Lough Neagh' will be on show at the exhibition and who knows where it will take their future careers, with past winners of the competition including Patrick Collison the founder of Stripe.
Fourteen projects from eight northern schools are finalists and this year BT celebrates 25 years as custodian and organiser of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YTSE), and under the organisation’s stewardship, the organisation has launched several initiatives that have evolved the exhibition even further in Northern Ireland
A total of 550 projects from 225 schools will be on display, spanning the five exhibition categories of Technology, Biological, and Ecological Sciences, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Health and Wellbeing. A judging panel of 85 experts from the world of STEM and business will have the challenging task of choosing over 200 prize winners, including the overall BT Young Scientist & Technologist (s) of the Year, awarded £6,200.
The BTYSTE, which is one of the leading school science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) exhibitions in the world, annually showcases incredible STEM focused ideas in project entries from secondary school students aged 12-19 years.
The 61st exhibition is a particularly significant milestone for BT, as the organisation celebrates 25 years as custodian and organiser of the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (YSTE). Since Dr. Tony Scott and the late Fr. Tom Burke created the YSTE in the 1960s, the exhibition has inspired many generations to look to STEM to improve the world around them, and in the past 25 years, BT Ireland has introduced several initiatives that have evolved the exhibition even further.
Initiatives include:
- A bursary for senior category winners into one of eight third level institutions in Ireland, through the Irish Universities Association
- The exhibition is a partner of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards in Northern Ireland, allowing entrants to use their entry towards achieving the award, as well as an equivalent partner of The GAISCE President’s Award in the Republic of Ireland
- The first BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp in 2010, which provides 30 BTYSTE participants with commercialisation and entrepreneurship skills for their future careers
- The introduction of the Primary Science Fair, the first science exhibition of its kind for 3rd to 6th class primary school students
- The introduction of a travel and accommodation grant to help students who would need to travel considerable distances to compete at the BTYSTE, distributing £1.25 million to schools across the island of Ireland since 2006.
Education Minister Paul Givan said: “The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is an educational initiative, that provides a key opportunity for young people in Northern Ireland to increase their engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
“With an ever-growing demand globally for people who are well-qualified in STEM subjects, it is vital that these subjects are offered and delivered in our schools. Success in STEM not only enables young people to pursue an exciting and creative career pathway, it is also essential to boosting economic growth in Northern Ireland.”
Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director of BT Business Northern Ireland said: said: ‘’We are delighted to welcome the students from the eight Northern Ireland schools and their teachers participating in the 61st exhibition. This year’s exhibition is particularly momentous for all the BT team across the island of Ireland as it marks 25 years since we became custodian of this remarkable event."
The BTYSTE opens to the public from Thursday, January 09 to Saturday January 11, with a full programme of fantastic events and something for everyone to enjoy, as well as all the student projects on display throughout. Additionally, 50 brilliant stands from the exhibition’s partners, including the Department of Education, Analog Devices, Amgen, Permanent TSB, Stripe, Re-turn, and RTÉ will be on display throughout the RDS.
For more information on the exhibition, please visit the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition website or follow @BTYSTE on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), YouTube or Snapchat.
A limited number of tickets are still available at ticketing.btyoungscientist.com
