What is the EUCYS?

The competition was first held in 1989 and young scientists between the ages of 14 and 21 are eligible to participate provided their projects are nominated by a national jury. In Ireland’s case this is done through the BTYS Exhibition. Projects are entered by individual students or groups of up to three students.
There are nine core prizes – three each for first, second, and third – as well as honorary awards and special donated prizes. The core winners share a cash prize of €51,500 – and a first-place project is worth a cool €7,000 of that.

Irish successes

First prize winners Povilas Kavaliauskas, Alexander Amini and Pius Markus Theiler

Irish students have a remarkable record at the competition, having landed first place prizes 13 times. In fact, Irish students claimed top spot for the first seven years of the contest.

In all, students representing Ireland have won 29 prizes at the EUCYS – that puts us on par with France. It’s a great return considering Ireland’s size and population. Between international guest countries (such as the US) and all of the EU entrants, close to 40 countries participate in the competition. This means that in any given year 100 projects or more can be put to scrutiny by a jury of 15 people.

German students top the leader board with a total of 74 prizes. The UK has 37, Poland 36 and Austria 31. Along with Switzerland, Hungary, and France, Ireland has won 29 prizes.

Whatever about recent OECD figures which ranked Ireland 20th out of 65 countries for science and 32nd out of 65 for mathematics, at this competition, Irish students are clearly punching above their weight.

Why do we do so well?

Passion is part of it, says Dr Tony Scott, emeritus lecturer at the UCD School of Physics who co-founded the Young Scientists’ Exhibition in 1963 after seeing science fairs in the US. (In 1999 he was awarded the Kelvin Medal by the Institute of Physics for his role in championing physics and furthering public understanding of science.)

Dr Scott believes that what fuels Ireland’s success at the EUCYS is both the students’ passion and the commitment of those who support them. “The projects themselves have been excellent, which mirrors the interest and enthusiasm of the young students together with the support of their teachers and parents.”

“The Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition is a good platform and opportunity for interested young students to display and explain their projects to the judges. The overall winner (Young Scientist) will have undergone a thorough examination by the judges and this ensures that the very best projects go on to Europe.”

Dr Scott highlights the importance of experiments and practical work. “Science of its very nature requires detailed experimental work which has to be designed, carried out, and have the results analysed and understood. The new school programmes in science now require practical work which is to be welcomed, and this aspect should be developed further in the coming years. It is vital that young students are exposed to the use of the latest equipment that is available.”

Boys vs girls

One striking aspect of the competition’s statistics relates to gender. In the majority of countries, the number of males winning prizes far exceeds the number of females winning prizes.

In Germany, for example, 85 males have won prizes at the competition since 1989, compared to just 15 females. In France it’s 42 males compared to 18 females.

In this area Ireland bucks the trend: 25 males have won prizes at EUCYS since 1989, compared to 24 females – the best balance of any nation.

Wearable computing is a lifestyle change that augments your life without interrupting it according to Thad Starner (founder of Contextual Computing Group at Georgia Tech’s College of Computing) who has worn his own customised wearable computer continuously since 1993.

In the video below Thad Starner gives us a glimpse of what a future integrated with technology could look like, while speaking at the Atlantic Corridor STEM conference in Tullamore in March 2011.

At this event, students, teachers, industry representatives and policy makers come together to discuss how STEM could be made more engaging for young people.  Such events are a regular occurrence these days with governments globally trying to encourage more students to pursue STEM at third level and beyond, and those with invested interests trying to find workable solutions. However, it is unusual to see students given such an open platform and an opportunity to have their own say.

From the below video it can be seen why this is an effective approach and how more of this collaboration is needed.  Here the students themselves discuss issues concerning the promotion of STEM to young people,  and the conversation is intelligently informed by their participation.

Sarah Baird is a member of the Arizona Centre for STEM Education, who has received an award for her work in maths teaching with children  from President Obama –  the Horace Mann Award for Teaching Excellence. According to Sarah how we are currently teaching our children to learn maths is the equivalent of teaching them “ a bunch of words and never asking them to read a book.”

See the video below of Sarah Baird at the Atlantic Corridor conference on STEM education in Tullamore last month giving us the inside track on how she is changing the perceptions of maths and giving students (pre-school to adults) the freedom and flexibility to be critical thinkers.

The competition invites you to create a mini site, with a virtual walking tour of your city, outlining examples of maths in the iconic buildings or landmarks in your surroundings.  Photos, videos or or podcasts can all be used. For more information visit https://www.mathsinthecity.com or watch the video below.

The result is a refreshing look at the application of maths in the real world, and how it can open doors to working as an astronaut, animator, air traffic controller, forensic analyst, climatologist, or political scientist, as well as the more well known fields that require mathematical knowledge such as chemistry, electrical engineering and computer science.

Outlining the pay rates for these diverse careers is an eye opener for many students (did you know that in the US a cryptanalyst can earn up to $112,780 dollars per year?). The site also has an interesting resource area for teachers, including videos such as the one below. If we are to encourage more young people to think about pursing careers that require maths, we need to present the opportunities it offers in just as engaging a way as this.

The DSE Science Zone held science shows with Paul McCrory, offered fun maths workshops and featured folk from Galway Atlantiquaria, Dublin Zoo and SEAI. From the photos below you can see there was lots of interaction, fun and wonder to be had.

The Big Day Out gives DSE a chance to talk to families about how they can introduce their children to science and maths in a fun way.

Surprise, joy and wonderment for one young person

Working it out at the Big Day Out

Playing the game of Safe Queens

Playing a game provided by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland

Maths workshop at the Big Day Out 2011

Fun with Paul McCrory and his science show

Admiring some creepy crawlies at the Big Day Out 2011

DSE marquee for Big Day Out 2011

Rubic Cube robot at work

Irish candidates currently enrolled in the US, or heading over in September 2011 include, Jacqueline Hynes enrolled on a PhD in Neuroscience at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; Ronan McGovern enrolled on a PhD in Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Elizabeth Sullivan enrolling this year on a PhD in maternal nutrition, materno-foetal nutrition and infant feeding; and Ellen Roche also enrolling this year on a PhD in medical device design.

The Fulbright International Science & Technology Awards is the US Government’s most prestigious and valuable scholarship. There are 40 PhDs available to students around the world to study/research in the US. Individually they are worth $300,000 for students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) disciplines. The process opens 2 years in advance for undergraduates hoping to do a PhD in the US for 2012-2013.

For details on the application process, visit www.fulbright.ie.  The application deadline is midday, Wednesday 18th May.

For more information visit www.primaryscience.ie.

Any primary school teachers interested in participating in this year’s Awards of Science and Maths Excellence take note that you have until March 25th to submit your intention to apply! You can also keep up-to-date with what is happening in the programme on Facebook.

In the video below SawStop’s creator Steve Gass bravely demonstrates its effectiveness on his own finger: