Scoil Áine in Lucan see success in Intel Mini Scientist contest
By William O'Connor
For the past number of months, 4th, 5th and 6th class students from across Ireland have been becoming hands on with science and showcasing their big ideas as they take part in the annual Intel Mini Scientist competition.
The competition, now in its eleventh year, gives young students the chance to explore science through project-based learning and exhibitions.
One of the winning schools was Scoil Áine Naofa, Lucan, for its Air Pollution project.
The first phase of the programme involves students participating at exhibitions in their own schools. These exhibitions are visited by Intel employees who judge the first round of them and select from each school a winning project to go forward to a regional final.
Regional finals were held at various locations last week, including the event in IT Blanchardstown which brought together over 250 students from 90 different schools in Dublin, Kildare, Laois, Meath, Offaly, Wicklow, Wexford, Carlow, Roscommon, Louth and Monaghan.
Twenty projects were selected to go forward to the National Grand Final which will take place in February 2018 at The Helix in DCU.
The year 2017 has been the biggest yet for the Intel Mini Scientist competition, with more than 7,800 students from 135 schools in 18 counties across Ireland taking part.
At the Leinster Regional Final event the participants exhibited their projects for a panel of judges, which was made up from Intel employees and Intel Women in Technology scholars, who had the difficult task of choosing the winning projects from the very creative variety.
