Mayo schools win seven awards at Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition
TWO Mayo schools are celebrating success at the Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE).
Students have returned with seven awards to Ballinrobe Community School and Mount St. Michael Secondary School, Claremorris.
The winners and projects (category on brackets) are as follows:
The Met Eireann Award (Biological & Ecological): The observation of the feeding habits of fledgling Common Swifts (Apus apus) correlating to weather conditions - Luke Mulloy, Emma Sweeney and Emily Butler, Ballinrobe Community School.
They were also awarded 1st Senior Group in the category awards for the project.
The National Disability Authority Award (Health & Wellbeing): Secure Hands: Enhancing the efficiency in emergency communication through Irish Sign Language in Ireland through the integration of machine learning in a mobile app - Dana Carney, Mount St. Michael.
Dana was also 2nd Intermediate Individual in the category awards.
Also in the category awards, 2nd Senior Individual (Health & Wellbeing) went to Mount St. Michael's Mary Lilibeth Curry Glynn for her project, Waste Not, Want Not: A comprehensive investigation into the usability of sterile medical supplies post expiry, and potential to reduce waste in healthcare.
Highly Commended (Health & Wellbeing) was another Mount St. Michael project, Evolve Era: An interactive AI-powered symptom tracking and diagnostic support - a technological solution to modern healthcare challenges. This Intermediate Group entry was by Simona Gaubyte, Ema Sasnauskaite and Huria Sadiq.
A Display Award (Health & Wellbeing) also returned to Mount St. Michael for Diawise: Empowering Educators – a technological solution for teacher training in the management of student diabetes, by student Abigail Killeen.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Minister for Education Norma Foley said it was heartening to see that Irish post-primary students in second year were in top position in the EU in Mathematics and Science in the latest international assessment of Mathematics and Science achievement – known as TIMSS 2023.
“The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition plays a key role in promoting our young people’s interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). I am committed to continuing to encourage STEM in our schools for the benefit of all learners,’’ she added.