Twenty Donegal schools win Science Foundation Ireland’s Curious Minds Awards

Pupils from Cloughfin NS, Ballindrait, Lifford, with their Science Foundation Ireland Curious Minds gold award

placeholder image — Pupils from Cloughfin NS, Ballindrait, Lifford, with their Science Foundation Ireland Curious Minds gold award

Primary schools across Donegal have received awards celebrating their achievements in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)

Twenty primary schools in Donegal have been awarded the 2023 Curious Minds Award, celebrating primary schools across Ireland that have adopted innovative approaches to STEM learning and engagement.

“I am delighted to announce the 20 winners of this year’s Science Foundation Ireland Curious Minds Awards from Donegal,” Minister Simon Harris, TD, said. “I want to congratulate all involved for their hard work and enthusiasm. Through programmes such as the Curious Minds Awards, we see first-hand teachers and schools empowering curiosity through a hands-on, inquiry-based approach to STEM learning.”

“The high level of engagement this year can be credited to the schools and teachers who have put effort into giving their students access to STEM in a fun, interactive and educational way.”

The Science Foundation Ireland programme, run in conjunction with the European Space Education Resource Office, aims to increase interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) among primary school students, parents, and teachers nationwide in a fun and interactive way.

The awards were granted for a wide range of innovative and engaging STEM activities from investigating renewable energy, growing vegetables, mini-beast hunts, learning about materials and maths through baking, design and make challenges, marble runs, enhancing their technology skills through coding, and using STEM to solve everyday problems.

Primary Schools received awards in three categories: The Silver Award, recognising schools entering for the first time; the Gold Award, for schools further along their STEM journey; and the Platinum Award, for schools who have achieved previous awards and want to integrate STEM into the community further.

This year, 16 Donegal schools received the Gold Award and four received the Silver Award.

Winners:

Gold

Creeslough National School, Creeslough - Gold Award

Cloughfin National School, Lifford - Gold Award

Scoil Naomh Fiachra - Gold Award

Inver National School (N.S.) - Gold Award

Scoil Fhionáin - Gold Award

Robertson National School - Gold Award

Dromore National School - Gold Award

Scoil An Linbh Íosa - Gold Award

Scoil Adhamhnáin - Gold Award