Offaly mini scientists share their big ideas

STUDENTS from an Offaly national school have displayed their prowess at science.

A team from Edenderry's Scoil Bhride was one of the regional finalists in the Intel Mini Scientist competition with the entry “It's Fantastic - It's Milky Plastic”.

On Tuesday December 13th the Intel Mini Scientist Regional Final for the Leinster area was hosted at the TU Dublin Blanchardstown campus.

For the past number of months, 4th, 5th and 6th class students from across Ireland have been getting hands on with science and showcasing their big ideas as they take part in the annual Intel Mini Scientist competition. The competition, which is now in its sixteenth year, gives young students the chance to explore science through project-based learning and exhibitions.

In the first phase of the competition, students participate at exhibitions in their own schools which are visited by Intel employees who select from each school a winning project to go forward to a regional final.

Regional finals were held at various locations over the past couple of weeks including the event at the TU Dublin Blanchardstown campus which brought together 200 students from 69 different schools in Cavan, Donegal, Dublin, Kilkenny, Kildare, Laois, Leitrim, Louth, Mayo, Meath, Monaghan, Offaly, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.

A total of 18 projects were selected at the event to go forward to the National Grand Final which will take place in the New Year.

The 2022 Intel Mini Scientist competition saw almost 7,000 students from 97 schools in 21 counties across Ireland taking part.

The participating students shared their projects which each included visual displays, projects books and practical experiments based on a scientific area aligned with the national primary science curriculum.

The participants exhibited their projects for a panel of judges, which was made up from Intel employees who had the difficult task of choosing the winning projects from the very impressive variety.

The 18 winning schools, who were presented with their prizes by Intel Ireland External Relations Manager Lisa Harlow, are;

The Beeping Box from Faughart Community National School, Dundalk Co. Louth
What does acid rain do to plants? from St. Mary's & St. Gerard's NS, Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow       
Paper Blast from Wicklow Montessori Primary School, Co. Wicklow
DJ Mini Scientist from Scoil Naomh Brid, Celbridge, Co. Kildare   
How Music Affects Blood Pressure from Straffan NS, Co. Kildare
Genetics and Forensics from St Patrick’s NS, Celbridge, Co. Kildare    
Male and Female Facial Characteristics from Scoil Bhríde, Leixlip, Co. Kildare
How to make plastic from Milk from Ballyboughal NS, Co. Dublin
SLABS from St. Raphaela's Primary School, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin
Carbon Dioxide and how to counteract it from Scoil Aine Naofa, Lucan, Co. Dublin
Does Color Affect Taste from St. Clare's Primary School, Harold’s Cross, Dublin
Hydroelectricity from Alexandra College Junior School, Rathmines, Co. Dublin
Why bikes should have indicators from St. Mochta's NS, Clonsilla, Dublin
Bia for Birds from Castleknock Educate Together NS, Dublin
Flower Power from Newtown NS, Enfield, Co. Meath  
Balance Feels Best from Scoil Bhríde, Navan, Co. Meath
'One Step Ahead' from St. Stephens NS, Navan, Co. Meath 
It's Fantastic - It's Milky Plastic from Scoil Bhríde Edenderry, Co. Offaly