News Budding Young Scientists at the RDS Primary Science Fair

The RDS Primary Science Fair is a non-competitive forum, showcasing STEM investigations (science, technology, engineering and maths) undertaken by primary school classes across Ireland.  The investigations focus on core skill development and encourage children’s innate curiosity to explore the science behind the everyday.  The RDS Primary Science Fair is taking place in Dublin, Limerick and Belfast this year with over 7,500 children participating across these venues.

Dr. Veronica McCauley, ( @VMcC_ScienceEd ) lecturer in Science Education, NUI Galway was invited as a Judge at the Limerick exhibition and showcase which took place at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick from January 19-21, 2017.  While the Fair is a non-competitive exhibition, the role of a Judge is to discuss, listen to and provide feedback to the children and their teacher on their project investigation.  The standard of project entrants was excellent, revealing an encouraging insight into young scientists of the future, whether they progress directly within the science field, or benefit from their growing scientific literacy in order to appreciate and make decisions about their own health, and/or extract key information from the media, and/or make informed science policy decisions that may come their way in the future.  At the end of the day each project is given feedback by a Judge and awarded a class trophy and certificates for each student.

The Judging Panel that Dr. McCauley worked with were led by the RDS Science and Technology Programme Manager, Karen Sheeran and consisted of a multiplicity of strengths across the sector: Dr Maeve Liston, Director of Enterprise & Community Engagement, Mary Immaculate College; Michael Browne, Lecturer in Science Education, Mary Immaculate College; Dan Fitzgibbon, Paediatric Occupational Therapist, Health Service Executive; Karl Lynch, Teacher, Killeen NS, Galway; Dr. Veronica McCauley, Lecturer in Science Education, NUI Galway; Dr. Carmel O’Doherty, Director, Limerick Education Centre; Dr. Anne O’Dwyer, Lecturer in Science Education, Mary Immaculate College, and Irene Walsh, Primary Education Advisor, Kilkenny.