Following the success of the Bio-EXPLORERS Easter Science Camp, the NUI Galway School of Natural Sciences is now taking bookings for three summer camp sessions. The Bio-EXPLORERS Summer Science Camps will begin on Mondays, the 14, 21 and 28 of July, with each camp running for five days. Registrations are open to all aspiring young scientists aged 8 to 13 years old.

The camps will run from 9.30am until 4.30pm from Monday to Friday. The cost for this exciting course packed with fun and exciting activities is €160 per child (€145 for additional siblings). Children will work as real scientists by performing and analysing experiments in a real research environment. 

In the mornings, children will work with Dr Michel Dugon, the host of the RTE TV programme ‘Bug Hunters’. Activities will include discovering live local and exotic plants and animals, studying their habitats and understanding how they interact with their environment.

In the afternoons, participants will understand how cells make our body work. With the dynamic team of Cell EXPLORERS, they will run their own experiments such as extracting DNA from cells, observing their own cells under small and large microscopes and building models.

Bio-EXPLORERS is run and supported by NUI Galway’s School of Natural Sciences, and is composed of two science communication and public engagement programmes: Cell EXPLORERS, directed by Dr Muriel Grenon, and Eco-EXPLORERS, directed by Dr Michel Dugon.

The programme’s primary goal is to inspire interest in science in the general public and to impact positively on science education. It proposes activities that are designed to engage children in a hands-on way and stimulate their interest in exploring science-related themes.

Since its creation, the programme has engaged thousands of children in the West of Ireland and was actively involved in the Galway Science and Technology Festival.

The ‘Fantastic DNA’ school visits and other Cell EXPLORERS activities are well known to primary school children in County Galway. The programme‘s volunteers have engaged more than 2000 pupils, teachers and parents since September 2013. The programme received the ‘Outstanding Contribution to STEM’ Award from the Galway Science and Technology Festival this year.

Since October 2013, Eco EXPLORERS has engaged over 6000 pupils across the West of Ireland on topics related to ecology, biodiversity and zoology. Bug hunting and live exotic creepy crawlies (including reptiles, spiders and giant beetles!) are at the core of the Eco EXPLORERS experience. Activities are led by Dr Michel Dugon, who is also the host of the RTE TV programme Bug Hunters. The 15-episode TV series has been selected to represent RTE at several prestigious media festivals (IFTA, Celtic Media Awards and Prix Jeunesse International).

For further information on the Bio-EXPLORERS Summer Science Camp or to register, visit http://www.nuigalway.ie/bughunters/ or email cellexplorers@nuigalway.ie. Places at the Camp will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis.

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