Bright young scientists compete at Cork and Shannon Mini Scientist regional finals

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For the past number of months, 4th, 5th and 6th class students from across Ireland have been getting hands on with science and showcasing their big ideas as they take part in the annual Intel Mini Scientist competition. The competition, which is now in its sixteenth year, gives young students the chance to explore science through project based learning and exhibitions.

This week regional finals for the countrywide competition took place in Cork and Shannon. 

The Cork regional final took place on Tuesday November 29^th bringing together students from 8 different schools in Cork with 2 projects being selected to go forward to the National Grand Final which takes place in the New Year.  

The next day, on November 30^th, the regional final moved to Shannon where over 70 students from 20 different schools in Clare, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, and Kerry took part with a further 5 projects being selected to go forward to the Grand Final.

Students had qualified to the regional final following the first phase of the competition which involves students participating at exhibitions in their own schools. These exhibitions are visited by Intel employees who judge the first round of projects and select from each school a winning project to go forward to a regional final.

The 2022 Intel Mini Scientist competition saw almost 7,000 students from 97 schools in 21 counties across Ireland taking part.

The Cork regional final took place at Ursuline Secondary School in Blackrock who kindly hosted the event, whilst the Shannon regional final took place at the Intel offices. Students exhibited their projects for a panel of judges, which was made up from Intel employees, who had the difficult task of choosing the winning projects from the very creative variety.

The 7 winning projects from the Cork and Shannon regional finals will now have the opportunity to go forward and participate in the National Mini Scientist Final taking place in the New Year. The National final will bring together projects from around the country all of which are being selected at regional final events.

The regional final was filled with innovative and imaginative projects, put together through months of hard work and the judges, after a very difficult task of deliberation, compiled their list of winning projects.

The 2 winning schools from the Cork regional final are;
 

• How do birds fly? from Grange Fermoy National School, Fermoy, Co. Cork
• How is wind converted to electricity from Ballyhea National School, Charleville, Co. Cork

The 5 winning schools from the Shannon regional final are;
 

• "Holy Mouldy" - is cleanliness an illusion? from Scoil Chríost Rí, Ennis, Co. Clare
• The Windmill from Scoil na Mainistreach Quin Dangan, Quin, Co. Clare
• Hydraulic Power from Scoil Angela, Thurles, Co. Tipperary
• Exciting Electricity from Knockanean National School, Ennis, Co. Clare
• Trash into Treasure from St. Patrick's Boys and Girls National School, Co. Galway