Northside young scientists bidding for another triumph

NORTHSIDE students will descend on the RDS this week bidding to become the overall BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition winner for 2020. 

Incredibly, local schools will be looking to make it five Northside successes in the space of just 10 years. 

If the Dublin football team had a stranglehold on the Sam Maguire Cup in the last decade the same could almost be said for Northside students’ triumphs in the prestigious young scientist competition over the same period. 

Alexander Amini, from Castleknock College, set the ball rolling in 2011, when he was crowned the overall winner.

Ironically, 2011 was also the Dublin senior football team’s breakthrough year when they landed ‘Sam’ for the first time in 1995. 

In 2014, Paul Clarke, a student at St Paul’s College, Raheny, was named the overall winner.

Two years later, Maria Louise Fufezan and Diana Bura, students at Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan, brought pride to the Northside once again with overall victory for a project they worked on jointly. 

And last year, Adam Kelly, from Skerries Community College, kept the Northside’s amazing run going when he was named the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition winner for 2019.

The 2020 exhibition will open on Wednesday, January 8 and runs until Saturday, January 11. 

Members of the public will be given ample time to view the projects in the competition which is a great way to start off the new year.   

A significant number of the projects this year delve into pressing social issues such as mental health, transgender rights and the effects that social media has on young people. Climate change also dominates this year’s projects.

Back in November, BT, the event organisers, delivered the good news to the over 1,100 students involved in the 550 finalist projects. 

A total of 91 projects from 44 schools have qualified from Dublin.

In total, students in schools all across the island of Ireland submitted over 1,800 projects.

Shay Walsh, managing director at BT Ireland, said: “It is a trend in itself globally that it is our young people who are now leading the charge when it comes to taking action on issues such as climate change and mental health; and I am personally encouraged to see this same passion and concern coming from our own young people as evidenced in their project ideas. 

“At BT we know, having organised this exhibition for the last 20 years, that our alumni are the change makers of tomorrow; and that the BTYSTE is a powerful platform for them to express their ideas, opinions and solutions.

“I’d like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to each and every student who submitted an entry to the 2020 exhibition and to wish our finalists the very best of luck.” 

Mr Walsh added: “We’re looking forward to meeting all of our talented class of 2020 at the RDS in January.”

Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh said: “It is so important for young people to develop analytical skills, critical thinking and creativity. 

“Every year the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition makes this happen.

“It is an inspiration. I was deeply impressed at last year’s event by the scale of ambition from all the students, their ability to explain their projects and the knowledge and skill that they demonstrated.

“The type of projects also highlighted what is important to young people. 

This year is no different with topical themes such as climate change, wellbeing and health.”

Minister McHugh said events like the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition are so important. 

“It gives students a chance to channel their talents into issues which they want to tackle and change,” he added. 

“Congratulations to all the students, teachers and parents who have put so much time and effort into the projects.”