Hundreds of students to present projects at STEMtacular science fair in Leitrim

The second annual STEMtacular Science Fair will take place at the Sports Complex in Ballinamore, on Thursday.

The science fair and competition will host 500 primary school students from Cavan, Leitrim, Roscommon, Mayo, Sligo, and Longford, while also showcasing a range of exhibits.

STEMtacular was founded last year to promote STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics – among students in the West of Ireland. Second-class to sixth-class students from across the West will participate by presenting their findings during the fair.

The event will run from 10 am to 2 pm and will feature a children's project exhibition, that parents are welcome to attend. Then at noon, the Discovery Zone will showcase exhibits from a variety of organizations in the field, including Jaguar, Land Rover, Engineers Ireland, RSA, and Futurecast. 

Afterwards, there will be a magician and the winners of the junior, intermediate, and senior science competitions will be announced.

“It is about so much more than kids presenting projects,” says Louise Gallagher, a science teacher from Leitrim and the event's organizer.

“What we are trying to address is that Leitrim has had the lowest science engagement out of all the counties. Prior to our event, students had to travel to Dublin for similar events. So what we’ve done is bring it to their doorstep, so they are no longer at a disadvantage because there’s nothing like this in the entire West.”

“It’s about developing communication skills and confidence, exposing students to careers in STEM that they might not see on a day-to-day basis. It’s really about opening their eyes to the possibilities available through STEM.”

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