Over 2,000 project ideas were submitted from 343 schools in 30 counties from across the island of Ireland to the 60th BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), the highest in seven years
- Artificial Intelligence (AI), Diversity & Inclusion and Mental Health are four emerging trends that 2024 BTYSTE entrants want to learn more about
- Of all 2024 BTYSTE submissions, 16% are health related (mental, menstrual, medicine, ageing, behaviour)
- 2,042 project entries were submitted by 4,166 students from 343 schools from across the island of Ireland for the 2024 BTYSTE
- 2024 will be the 60th BTYSTE, which takes place from January 10 to 13 next year
DUBLIN – 09 November 2023: BT Ireland has today revealed the top themes emerging from the project entries for the 2024 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE). The data shows that secondary school students from across the island of Ireland are interested in learning more about AI, diversity & inclusion and mental health. This January, 550 projects and hundreds of students will represent their school and community at the 2024 BTYSTE.
Of all the submissions for the 2024 exhibition, the most common project titles are focused on health (16%); mental, menstrual, sleep, medicine, ageing, behaviour. Mental health project entries covered a broad range of topics, such as beauty standards, sports performance, exercise and sleep. 2% of all entries specifically investigated the health and environmental implications of vaping, which suggests the awareness and concerns of young people around vaping.
AI accounted for 4% of all entries, with projects looking at how programmes such as Chat GPT can be used effectively in education and health. Diversity & Inclusion was another topic of interest for students this year. Of all entries, 3% focus on developing apps and technology to help improve the daily lives of those with physical disabilities. Neurodiversity (autism, in particular) was another emerging theme, suggesting growing interest from young people in the ways that technology can improve the lives of neurodivergent people.
Similar to previous years, the environment continues to be a strong trend within entries, with 11% of all projects covering the topic, from ways to become more sustainable, to environmentally friendly farming practices, microplastics, natural fertilisers and even fast fashion.
Young peoples’ interest in sport remains high, with 9% of projects investigating topics ranging from sports injuries to performance, as well as the use of technology within sports, gender, and mental health. Furthermore 6% of all projects also delve into education, investigating areas from mental health to academic success, innovation, and the use of apps and devices within classrooms and learning environments.
Schools who entered the 2024 BTYSTE were notified of results on Wednesday, 25 October, 2023. From January 10 to 13, hundreds of students will showcase their innovative ideas in the areas of Social & Behavioural Sciences, Technology, Chemical, Physical & Mathematical Sciences, Biological & Ecological Sciences, and a brand-new category being introduced for 2024, Health and Wellbeing.
Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD said: “It is fantastic to see the level of engagement by students in the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2024. It is an absolute highlight of the school calendar each year. The interest from students in health-related topics demonstrates young people’s interest in that area, and it’s great to see that the BTYSTE has created a new category for the 60th exhibition next year, ‘Health and Wellbeing’, that will enable secondary school students to explore that interest further. I am looking forward to visiting the Exhibition in January to see the exceptional ideas and innovations being showcased by students across Ireland. I wish to congratulate each and every student who has submitted a project to the BTYSTE, along with their teachers and parents who have supported them throughout the process.”
Shay Walsh, Managing Director at BT Ireland commented, “At BT Ireland, we’re looking forward to delivering the 60th edition of this national treasure in January. Each year we continue to be amazed at the caliber of ideas and innovations that are submitted for consideration to the BTYSTE. The volume of exceptional entries we received for 2024 exhibition shows that interest in science, technology, exhibition, and mathematics (STEM)continues to grow, and we are looking forward to recognise and nurture this young talent in the New Year.”
Mari Cahalane, Head of the BTYSTE concluded: “The BTYSTE is a fantastic platform for students to develop their best ideas to improve the world we live in and showcase them nationally and internationally. As one of the largest STEM school exhibitions in Europe, our alumni have been recognised globally and with the standard of entries for 2024 just as high as years before, we’re very confident that trend will continue. We are excited to see the 2024 BTYSTE entrants showcase their extraordinary work at next year’s exhibition.”
The 60th BTYSTE will take place from January 10-13, 2024. Ireland’s national celebration of STEM is one of the country’s best attended events every year and has something for all ages to enjoy. There are over 200 prizes to be won and a prize fund of €50,000 for BTYSTE 2024. These prizes are awarded across all five categories and age groups, including the overall BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year Award, worth €7,500, which will see the winners go on to represent Ireland at the prestigious European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS), which takes place in the European City of Science 2024 – Katowice, Poland. Ireland has a strong record of taking home the prize for first place at the EUCYS, with 17 wins over the past 33 years.
Tickets for the BTYSTE 2024 will be available for purchase later this month. For more information on the BTYSTE, please visit @BTYSTE on X, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Erica Brown / Aine O’Boyle
Teneo
btyste@teneo.com
0833959458 / 087 2351034
For video content please see here: https://youtu.be/r_FUjHZrfy0
https://vimeo.com/856335278/ec07ab23f6
About BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is designed to raise schools’ engagement in the critical subjects of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM). The Exhibition calls upon students aged 12-19 years from all over the island of Ireland to showcase innovative science and technology projects. In 2022, the Exhibition reached almost 8 million visitors around the world through its virtual portal. The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is supported by valued partners including the Department of Education, Analog Devices, Horizon, Stripe, and RTÉ. Learn more at www.btyoungscientist.com.
About BT Group
BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network and IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.
BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 650 communications providers across the UK.
British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.
For more information, visit www.bt.com/about.
