Get into Geoscience 2024: Over 200 Secondary school students visit UCD to present their geoscience projects
Last week, over 200 secondary school students participating in TY (transition year) within their respective schools, presented their Get into Geoscience projects at UCD to a panel of experts and peers.
In just four months, from January to April 2024, these students created their own projects on the overarching theme of ‘Environmental Change’. The programme coordinator, Hannah Binner, said: “It truly is incredible how the students took the idea and challenge of ‘environmental change’ and developed projects after their own interests. We had projects on soil, water and air pollution, karst landscapes, wind energy, energy transition, invasive species, the transport system, local climate change effects and so much more. This years’ cohort was especially creative and made their own videos, surveys, posters and even models. We were delighted to reward the work that the students put into their projects by highlighting the ‘best research projects’ and ‘best learning journey’ and awarding group prizes to 50 students overall.”
She further added that: “We believe, that inviting the students to present their projects in UCD makes a huge difference in giving them ownership over their work, as well as building confidence and encouraging this next generation of geoscientists.”
The students spoke of their positive experience in the Get into Geoscience programme by highlighting that they enjoyed “talking to the scientists that visited their school and helped with project ideas”, “doing group work” and “getting to present in UCD”. The majority of participants also responded that their enjoyment of learning about geoscience has increased after taking part in this programme.
For some students, it even changed their future career perspective, and they consider a geoscience career “now that I know more” and that “visiting UCD has made me aware of what environment I’d like to go work at”.
Run by iCRAG, the SFI Research Centre in Applied Geosciences, Get into Geoscience is an educational programme which aims to introduce second level students from Transition Year and senior cycle to the geosciences and is closely aligned with various aspects of the junior and leaving certificate curricula including science subjects, geography, maths and social science. With the introduction of the new Climate Action and Sustainability Leaving Certificate subject in 2024, it couldn’t be a better time to get involved in the programme.
To register or to find out more information, visit getintogeoscience.com. Registration for the next programme will close in November and is expected to l run from January to May in 2025.