- Ireland’s favourite illusionist is urging students to submit entries
- 2018 winner to represent Ireland at European Union Young Scientist taking place in Dublin
Top illusionist David Meade has joined BT Ireland in urging students from across the country to submit an entry for the 2018 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition (BTYSTE), ahead of the fast approaching deadline of 25th September 2017.
The exhibition, now in its 54th year, is one of the largest and longest running STEM* events in the world. The theme for BTYSTE 2018 is ‘It Starts Here’ highlighting and celebrating the role the Exhibition can play in captivating a love of science, technology, engineering and mathematics and help nurture Ireland’s leaders of tomorrow. Signifying the beginning of opportunities for young people at the exhibition, they can express their interest in STEM and demonstrate their creativity by turning their ideas into reality outside of a classroom setting.
David Meade, a BTYSTE ambassador, said:
“The exhibition can be the starting point of a bright and brilliant future for many and it allows young people to really develop their imaginations and interest in STEM subjects, which is extremely important. I would strongly urge both students and teachers alike to get involved, and to work together to submit an entry before the deadline of September 25th.”
BT Ireland has also reinforced its commitment to support schools from across Ireland to enter this year’s exhibition with a free travel and accommodation grant. All schools on application can qualify for the grant, which means that schools that are located over 70km from the RDS, where the exhibition is held, are eligible to apply for a grant of €150 per individual entry or €300 for a group entry, up to a maximum of €1,500 per school. In 2017, BT provided more than €75,000 in grant funding to 133 schools across Ireland, bringing the total financial support since 2006 to almost €725,000.
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, and benefit from the exhibition. The accommodation grant serves to support the regionalisation of talent and STEM investment across the country.
Mr. Shay Walsh, MD BT Ireland said,
“BT Ireland are proud to once again be organising the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition and are fully committed to helping students from across Ireland prepare for the exhibition deadline. Research carried out by BT Ireland, in preparation of the 2018 official launch in Limerick this week, indicated a trend that most students want to stay living and working locally. Therefore, it is vital that we foster an interest in STEM right across the country to ensure our cities and towns have the talent required and can attract the right jobs to their locality”.
“This year BT Ireland is not only providing accommodation grants and access to vast online resources but have also provided schools with various opportunities to get ‘Top Tips’ in exclusive videos and online interactions with both Dr. Tony Scott, Co-Founder BTYSTE, and Shane Curran, 2017 Young Scientist”.
Head of BTYSTE, Mari Cahalane, said,
“The BTYSTE plays a key role in nurturing the wide pool of talent across Ireland and we would encourage all teachers and students to consider entering projects. Over the years, we’ve seen a wide variety of different and unusual projects being submitted so no matter what you are interested in, it is worth exploring further and seeing if your idea fits the entry criteria.”
“Getting involved in the BTYSTE is simple; students have the choice to either enter as an individual or in a group and entries can be made in any one of four categories. The categories include: technology, social and behavioural science, biological and ecological science, or chemical, physical and mathematical. Students are asked to upload a one-page proposal outlining their idea to www.btyoungscientist.com”
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place from the 10th – 13th January 2018 at the RDS in Dublin. The exhibition offers one of the most coveted awards for participants, with a substantial prize fund and the BTYSTE perpetual trophy, as well as over 140 prizes for individuals, groups, and teachers. In addition, the overall winner will represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in 2018 which is taking place in Dublin.
For more information on the exhibition and for details on how to enter, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com or follow BTYSTE on Facebook and Twitter.
ENDS
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About BTYSTE
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is Ireland’s premier STEM event for secondary school pupils. Since its origin in 1963, the BTYSTE has grown from a simple science fair to become one the most highly regarded platforms for encouraging young people to use the foundations of science, technology, engineering and maths to inspire new ideas and new ways of thinking about the world we live in. The Exhibition itself is the final stage of the competition, which is open to all second level students from Ireland, both north and south. As well as the 550 shortlisted student projects on display each year, there are a further four exhibition halls filled with cutting edge science and technology based exhibits and entertainment, making it a thrilling event for those who enter and for general visitors alike. The 2018 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place from 10th-13th January in the RDS, Dublin 4. For more information on how to get involved visit www.btyoungscientist.com
About BT
BT’s purpose is to use the power of communications to make a better world. It is one of the world’s leading providers of communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities include the provision of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services to its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; broadband, TV and internet products and services; and converged fixed-mobile products and services. BT consists of six customer-facing lines of business: Consumer, EE, Business and Public Sector, Global Services, Wholesale and Ventures, and Openreach.
For the year ended 31 March 2017, BT Group’s reported revenue was £24,062m with reported profit before taxation of £2,354m.
British Telecommunications plc (BT) 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 stock exchanges in London and New York.
For more information, visit www.btplc.com
