27 February 2023
Supporting the next generation to question the world around them
ESB Science Blast is back for 2023. This initiative is a free, non-competitive educational programme for primary schools (third to sixth class / Key Stage 2), that involves the whole class investigating the science behind a simple question.
Teagasc is delighted to be a sponsor of the event and proud to be part of this exciting initiative.
The schools involved come up with a curious question and carry out their own STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) investigation to answer it. Here at Teagasc we know how important it is to play our part in supporting the next generation to question the world around them.
Many classes are asking questions that we as adults no longer ask and we often struggle to provide answers to these simple questions. ESB Science Blast provides children with an opportunity to work through their questions by predicting, observing, measuring, and gathering evidence and then presenting their theories and work to a real-life STEM professional for feedback. A number of Teagasc staff are acting as judges at the event.
Anna Fenelon, Teagasc’s Laboratory and Field Experimentation Coordinator, who has been judging the awards for the last two years, said: “I am delighted to be judging at the ESB Science Blast this year. This year I have been partnered with two schools that are using a mix of experiments, surveys and interviews to answer their class question. I will meet them at the showcase event in the RDS where they will present their projects and I will also have an opportunity to provide them with some feedback. It is a fantastic way for primary school children to experience STEM in an educational and fun way and I am excited to represent Teagasc as a judge at this event.”
Teagasc will also host a stand at the showcase event this week at the RDS. One of the stand presenters, Dheeraj Rathore, a Tree Improvement Research officer in Teagasc’s Forestry Development Department said: “It has been a learning curve when I get the opportunity to interact with the young generation of scientists through events like ESB Science Blast. This year I will be at the Teagasc stand presenting the work that I do as a forestry researcher. I will be talking about some of my research on ash dieback disease to bring awareness about the disease, its spread, and the techniques to spot healthy ash trees. I am excitedly looking forward to the conversations with primary school kids and their teachers.”
ESB Science Blast is taking place in the RDS Simmonscourt, Dublin. ESB Science Blast takes place from Monday, 27th February – Thursday, 2nd March (2nd March is for Gaelscoils). Find out more here.