WATCH: Thousands of students have a blast as major STEM event lands in Limerick
MORE than 3,000 primary school children from Limerick and across the country will descend on Mary Immaculate College over the coming days for the ESB Science Blast event of the year.
Delivered by the RDS Foundation, ESB Science Blast is a STEM-focused education programme involving whole classes investigating the science behind simple questions, such as “Is a dog’s mouth cleaner than a human’s mouth?” or “Can technology replace your teacher?”
Leaders in industry, education, local government and STEM will be hoping to meet young innovators of the future at the event as will Dr Norah Patten, who is in the running to be Ireland’s first astronaut.
ESB Science Blast Limerick, which features 130 projects, opened with a breakfast event this Tuesday bringing leaders together to highlight the importance of STEM education within society.
Speaking at the opening of the three-day event, Geraldine Ruane, Chief Executive of the RDS, said: “ESB Science Blast, a core Programme with the RDS Foundation, is a brilliant avenue to introduce children, at an early stage in their education, to the fun and excitement that learning through STEM can bring. The investigations that have been carried out this year show that children are curious about everything in the world around them and can find inspiration in everyday things. I'm in awe of the creative, colourful and exciting projects we're going to see over the next few days."
Paddy Hayes, Chief Executive of ESB, added: “ESB is very proud to work with the RDS and Mary Immaculate College in bringing ESB Science Blast to schools across the southwest. This important STEM learning programme helps students to develop key skills like critical thinking and problem solving by nurturing their innate curiosity and creativity. I am looking forward to seeing the energy, enthusiasm and buzz of excitement among the students at the Limerick showcase event this week.”
Speaking about her involvement in the programme, Dr Eleanor Walsh, STEM Project Outreach Officer, Department of Enterprise & Community Engagement, Mary Immaculate College said: “We are delighted to be hosting this, thus enabling hundreds of pupils from the Midwest region an opportunity to participate in this experience. Given MIC’s strong contribution to STEM education in primary schools, it’s fitting for us to be facilitating the knowledge sharing and interesting conversations that no doubt will develop as the children showcase their findings to experts, on a question of their choosing, that they are curious and wonder about. I’m sure we will all learn something new."
Now in its fifth year, over 45,000 children have participated in ESB Science Blast to date, making it the largest primary school programme on the island of Ireland.
For more information, see www.esbscienceblast.com