St Oliver’s Community College picked up three prestigious awards, the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award was bestowed on Leah Newman and Craig Lawlor for their Project –‘Can arthritis sufferers benefit from leverage?
Secondary School students from Drogheda have done themselves and their schools proud at the SciFest@DkIT 2023 regional competition at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT).
This exciting and high energy event had 140 projects on exhibition and over 250 second level students were in attendance on the day. The judges had an extremely difficult task in shortlisting the regional winners due to the high calibre of projects presented.
St Oliver’s Community College picked up three prestigious awards, the Boston Scientific Medical Devices Award was bestowed on Leah Newman and Craig Lawlor for their Project –‘Can arthritis sufferers benefit from leverage?
The DkIT Junior Life Science Award was awarded to Megha Elaiyaraja for ‘How do mobile phones and other technology negatively affect the mental health, general well-being and sleep of teenagers?’
The final award picked up by the college was the Business Excellence Institute Award which was presented to Aoife Lawlor, Hollie Taaffe and Jemma Winters for their project ‘Is there a way to further promote independence among wheelchair users?.
St Joseph’s CBS in Drogheda received the acclaimed Institute of Physics Award which was awarded to Jack Clinton and Pedro Martinez Garcia for their project, ‘Which material and shape makes the best parachute?
The Irish Science Teachers Association Student Award which was won by Aisling Ní Aonghusa and Grace Allen of Loreto Secondary School, Balbriggan for their project ‘How does the Stroop Effect influence various age groups with regards to sex, sleep and energy drinks?
The top prize of the day, the Best Project Award, went to Mya Doocery and Mia Galligan from St Joseph’s Secondary School Navan for their Project P.E-riod which investigated the impact menstruation can have on sports activity.
The Runner-up prize was awarded to Lorcán Garvin from Coláiste Chú Chulainn, Dundalk for his project investigating the amount of microplastics in the sand at beaches around Co Louth.
Finally, the SciFest Chemistry Award was awarded to Ardgillan Community College, Co Dublin and presented to Sami Khan for ‘Investigating the pH, dissolved solids and suspended solids in the Boyne River going upstream’.
SciFest is an all-island STEM initiative which fosters active, collaborative and inquiry-based learning among second-level students. The programme operates throughout the school year and, being locally and regionally based and free-to-enter, is highly inclusive and accessible. Winners from each regional STEM fair go on to compete at a National Final in November.
