STUDENTS FROM ACROSS COUNTY AIMING TO IMPRESS AT SCIFEST

WEXFORD secondary students will be putting their knowledge of science to the test against peers from schools across the region at the Waterford Institute of Technology campus today (Tuesday) during the regional SciFest fair.

Almost 130 projects have been entered with about 330 participants coming from 20 different post-primary schools in counties Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Wicklow. There are 56 projects from Wexford: Enniscorthy, Meanscoil Gharman: have three; New Ross Christian Brothers Secondary School have 17, St. Mary’s Secondary School have 32; Bridgetown College have one and Wexford Christian Brothers Secondary School have three.

An example of what Wexford has to offer includes: The endurance of Brine Shrimp by students at the Christian Brothers Secondary School in New Ross, Veggie Wars by St Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross students, ChicGANIC vs. ChicCaged also by St. Mary’s Secondary School students, 5 Second Rule by St Mary’s Secondary School students, ‘Does therapeutic horse riding actually help?’ by Meanscoil Gharman, Enniscorthy students, ‘ The Effects of Fertiliser on the Growth of Algae in a Brackish Lake’ by Christian Brothers Secondary School, Wexford students and an intriguing investigation into whether playing music improves milk yield on a dairy farm by Bridgetown College students.

The winner of SciFest@WIT will be announced at 2 p.m. today at the WIT Arena and will go on to represent WIT at the SciFest national final in November.

Awards presented at the national final include the opportunity to represent Ireland at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. SciFest – now is in its tenth year – was founded by science teacher Sheila Porter to develop a love of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects and in generating a spirit of inquiry, innovation and entrepreneurship.