Weir congratulates winners of the BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition

Date published: 16 January 2017

Loreto College Coleraine won the award for the ‘MATRIX Best Northern Ireland School’ as well as ‘BT Northern Ireland Best Project.’ Further awards were also presented to Northern Ireland schools and institutions at the ceremony on Friday.

Congratulating the prize winners, the Minister said:

“I have been very impressed by the enthusiasm, innovation and depth of knowledge shown by these students, who have used this opportunity to showcase their hard work and learning.

“I congratulate the students from Loreto College Coleraine who won the award for the best northern project and best northern school.

“It is important to recognise not only the work of the pupils, but also the support and dedication shown by school staff and parents in assisting the young people to bring their projects to the exhibition.

“The BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition is an exciting experience for young people and opens their eyes to what a career in STEM may involve, an area with many opportunities and which is crucial to a successful economic future. I commend BT for again delivering a successful exhibition.”

Loreto College’s winning project, ‘Phone Book Physics’ was entered in the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences category at intermediate level. The college were also highly commended within this category. A second project entered by the school entitled ‘Bead Fountains’ in the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences category was awarded 1st place at senior individual level.

Other awards were presented to the following local schools:

• Ballyclare High School Antrim picked up 2nd place in the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences category for their project ‘Bead Fountains’.
• St Killan’s College Antrim received the award for ‘Analog Educator of Excellence’.
• St Mary’s College, Londonderry were highly commended for their project ‘SCOBY SCOBY Do’ in the Junior Individual section of the Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences category and ‘Investigating the effect of reheating pasta on the rate of digestion of its starch by amylase’ in the Intermediate Group section of the CPM category.
• Ballymena Academy were highly commended for their project ‘Branch Strike Detector’ which was entered into the Technology category.
• St Patrick’s High School Armagh were highly commended for their project ‘An investigation into how foam reduces spillages in liquids’ in theChemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences category at junior level.
• St Catherine’s College Armagh were highly commended for their project ‘Irish dancing is a sport, not just a hobby’ in the Biological and Ecological category at junior level and for their project ‘Eiseapláinéid a Fhiosrú’ in Chemical, Physical and Mathematical Sciences category at Intermediate level.
• St Killian’s College Antrim were highly commended for their project ‘Distance Diagnostics’ Technology category at junior level.
• South Eastern Regional College Bangor Campus were highly commended for their project ‘Investigating the link between habitat and the antibacterial effect of honey’ in the Biological and Ecological category at senior level.