Students advised SciFest now online due to school closures

In line with recommendations and advice from the HSE, the SciFest regional finals that usually take place in 16 venues will continue online in the wake of the Covid-19 closure of schools, ITs and universities.

Second-level school students who were preparing for the SciFest regional finals in St Mary’s College in Derry on Friday last are being asked to complete an online form and submit their project books as well as supplementary material to www.scifest.ie for online judging by Thursday, May 14, 2020.

Those participating in group projects are encouraged to collaborate online and by phone and then to upload their project and supporting material for judging via a new online portal.

Sheila Porter, SciFest Founder and CEO said: “Coronavirus means that all schools, ITs and universities will be closed for the coming weeks, which is a great disappointment for all of us involved with SciFest. We want to encourage students to continue to work on their projects in the coming weeks in preparation for the regional finals and submit their projects online for judging. With over 3,000 students having signed up for SciFest@College prior to the COVID-19 restrictions, we want to facilitate this learning opportunity in as much as is possible and we know from speaking to students, teachers and parents that they are eager to participate, and ensure students can take part in the SciFest National Final in November.”

“We appreciate that this is not an ideal situation and that these measures won’t be available to all students, but this will allow us to continue this year’s competition, supporting as many students as possible, despite the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in.”

In SciFest, second-level students showcase STEM projects at a series of one-day science fairs held locally in schools and regionally in different venues including St. Mary’s College. The winners will compete at a national final in November and the national winners will represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2021 in the USA.