With less than a month until schools across the country are back to porridge, Pete Snodden, host of the Cool FM Breakfast Show, has teamed up with the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE) to call upon young people across the region to take part in the next event.
In a bid to encourage teachers and young people from across Northern Ireland to ‘Dream it, Do it’ and take the science world by storm, Pete is helping drive a campaign to recruit local people aged 12-19 to enter the 2017 exhibition, which takes place in January 2017.
Commenting on his involvement he said; “Through my line of work I regularly meet with teenagers from across Northern Ireland, and I continue to be impressed and inspired by how open-minded and inquisitive they are. Young people are the future of our society and need support if they are to develop and reach their full potential.”
“I’m a huge advocate of anything that encourages young people to dream big and the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition does just that. The application process for the competition is super easy so if you’ve got a great idea which falls under the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) agenda then I urge young people to work alongside their science teachers to submit their one page proposal before 28th September 2016.”
BT has also reinforced its commitment to support schools across Northern Ireland to enter this year’s exhibition with a FREE travel and accommodation grant. All schools in Northern Ireland on application can qualify for the BT Travel and Accommodation Grant, which this year is supplemented by the Department of Education. This means schools which are located over 70km from the RDS in Dublin, where the exhibition is held, are eligible to apply for a grant of up to £2,205. The BT grant offers more incentives for the competition and allows an ever increasing number of young people from both rural and urban areas to participate in the exhibition. There are also college bursaries to be won to attend one of the seven colleges in the Republic of Ireland.
Mari Cahalane, Head of BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition added, “As a business we depend on talent and skills to drive our economy and the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition plays a key role in nurturing that future pool of talent.
“We’re keen for students to start thinking of science beyond its traditional form. Students who have experienced the exhibition understand that it is about much more than science; it’s about imagining a simple yet effective idea and then bringing that idea to life through research and development. Every discovery ever made came from a single idea and we want all teachers and students involved in science, technology, engineering, maths or the social sciences to challenge themselves to make that next big discovery through the exhibition. I’m looking forward to seeing some great entries over the coming weeks for the 2017 exhibition.”
The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition will take place 11th-14th January 2017 in the RDS in Dublin. As well as the incentive of getting a project shortlisted and experiencing a week at the exhibition in Dublin, there are also over 140 teacher and pupil awards to be won, including cash prizes, international trips, the overall title of BT Young Scientist and Technologist(s) of the Year and chance to represent NI at the EU Contest for Young Scientists.
The theme for the next event is ‘Dream it, Do it’. For more information on the exhibition and for details on how to enter, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com.
