As the final ESB Science Blast event opens its doors to primary school pupils from across the southwest on Tuesday, 23th May, the event will welcome over three thousand children with 130 projects to Mary Immaculate College in Limerick for the fifth annual ESB Science Blast.
Delivered by the RDS Foundation, ESB Science Blast is a STEM-focused education programme involving whole classes investigating the science behind simple questions, such as “Is a dog’s mouth cleaner than a human’s mouth?” or “Can technology replace your teacher?”
Leaders in industry, education, local government and STEM will be hoping to meet young innovators of the future at the event. ESB Science Blast Limerick will open with a breakfast event bringing leaders together to highlight the importance of STEM education within society. Speaking at the breakfast will be:
- Louise McGrath, Staff Engineer, Biomedical Engineering, Analog Devices;
- Órla Walsh, Senior Communication Advisor, Dell Technologies;
- Dr Eleanor Walsh, STEM Project Outreach Officer, Department of Enterprise & Community Engagement, Mary Immaculate College; and
- Matt Flanagan, Teacher, Monaleen National School, Co. Limerick.
Speaking at the opening, Geraldine Ruane, Chief Executive of the RDS, said: “The RDS, with the support of Mary Immaculate College, is delighted to welcome primary schools from across the southwest to ESB Science Blast, Ireland’s largest STEM Programme. Limerick is the final event in the series and we’ve had a fantastic response from schools across the region.
Speaking about her involvement in the programme, Dr Eleanor Walsh, STEM Project Outreach Officer, Department of Enterprise & Community Engagement, Mary Immaculate College said
"The entire community at Mary Immaculate College extend a very warm welcome to all the children and teachers participating in ESB Science Blast who are attending our Limerick campus over the next three days. We are delighted to be hosting this, thus enabling hundreds of pupils from the Midwest region an opportunity to participate in this experience.Given MIC’s strong contribution to STEM education in primary schools, it’s fitting for us to be facilitating the knowledge sharing and interesting conversations that no doubt will develop as the children showcase their findings to experts, on a question of their choosing, that they are curious and wonder about. I’m sure we will all learn something new! We look forward to welcoming back many of our past graduates and hope that they and their pupils will be inspired and benefit from their day in ESB Science Blast Limerick 2023.”
Now in its fifth year, over 45,000 children have participated in ESB Science Blast to date, making it the largest primary school programme on the island of Ireland.
For more information visit www.esbscienceblast.com
