BT YOUNG SCIENTISTS & SCIFEST

BT Young Scientists & Scifest

Ardscoil Phádraig offers students many opportunities to explore their inquisitive and creative nature through competitions such as the BT Young Scientist and SciFest competitions. These extracurricular activities provide students with opportunities to explore their own interests and show their own personalities whilst also developing the key skills required to excel in their Leaving Certificate studies. Skills such as communicating, working with others, critical and creative thinking, being personally effective and processing information are enhanced, which benefit students as they progress to further study and the world of work.

In recent years, the school has been very successful in winning awards at both the BT Young Scientist and SciFest events with two groups of students qualifying for the National Final of this years BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Both groups will represent Ardscoil Phádraig in the Social and Behavioural Sciences category with Aoife Reilly and Katelyn Farrell investigating ‘The Effect of Technology on Social Interactions’ and Cora Murphy, Elle Lynn and Funmi Talabi examining the links between ‘Physical Activity and Productivity’.

We would like to acknowledge the fantastic manner in which both of our groups have represented Ardscoil Phádraig throughout the entire process, with this years national finals being held as a virtual event for the first time in the exhibitions history. The girls have shown fantastic dedication towards their research, from their initial qualification stages right up to January’s gruelling interviews and presentations.

Details of both projects may still be viewed by visiting their virtual stands at www.btyoungscientist.ie and one need only take a few minutes to view their presentation video clips to see the reason that they were selected amongst this years best young scientists in Ireland. We have no doubt that very bright futures lie ahead for Katelyn, Aoife, Funmi, Elle and Cora in whatever field they choose to follow and the experiences of this entire process will no doubt be of huge benefit to them as they move forward.

We would like to sincerely thank Ms. Magan for her work in facilitating both entries, allowing the girls to continue a fantastic tradition of success at the exhibition for students of Ardscoil Phádraig.