WIT News

Waterford Young Scientists Prepare for BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition Posted: Tue, January 6, 2009

Young people across the Southeast have been busy, even across the Christmas holidays, putting the finishing touches to their inventions and discoveries for the finals of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.

Ireland boasts one of the biggest and most impressive young scientist festivals in the world with 500 projects making it through the finals at the RDS in Dublin which will be open to the public from January 8 to 10.

Waterford is well represented with 14 projects from Blackwater Community School, Waterpark College, Newtown School and Meanscoil San Nioclas making it through to the finals. It is very encouraging that the number of schools exhibiting from the south east has been growing steadily year on year, said Eoin Gill of the Centre for the Advancement of Learning of Maths, Science and Technology CALMAST.

“The BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition encourages young people explore science, engineering and mathematics for themselves and allows them to develop the skills to be the innovators of tomorrow."

The BT Young Scientist and Technology exhibition is a wonderful experience for all the family, with over 30,000 visitors expected over the three days. In addition to the student exhibits, there are fun presentations, displays and exhibits to entertain and educate all.

One of the most popular exhibits is always the Waterford stand,  co-ordinated by CALMAST, WIT’s centre for promotion of science, where Waterford Institute of Technology staff and students work with healthcare companies Bausch & Lomb; Teva; Genzyme to show the role of science in our everyday life.

All areas of science, engineering, maths and technology will be displayed at the stand in the hope of exciting visitors about the importance of science in our everyday lives. The stand will illustrate how many technology-related companies are operating in the south east region and how the institute works with them.

Waterford Institute of Technology’s forestry staff are working with Coillte again this year to give away 5,000 broad leaved trees to exhibition-goers to help combat climate change.

“WIT is committed to promotion of science, technology, engineering and maths, which are key components of our economic future,” according to Dr Sheila Donegan of CALMAST. “In the last year we have hosted over 10,000 young people at events organised by WIT.

“We consider it also important to assist nationally important initiatives so we are delighted to be able to support the BT Young Scientist Exhibition for the sixth successive year. The family day is on January 10. It features displays for all ages, so why not come up to Dublin and see us?,” Dr Donegan added.