2004 Science Week
Ireland
“Science Week Ireland” 13 Nov. 2011
Briefing for Committee on Jobs, Social Protection and Education
November
7-14, 2004
16th November
2011
Peter Brabazon, Director, Discover Science and Engineering
Forfás, Wilton Park House, Dublin 2
tel +353 1 6073008, mob +353 87 2435 867,
www.discover-science.ie
peter.brabazon@forfas.ie
1. Discover Science and Engineering
“National Integrated Awareness Programme”
• Launched October 2003
• Funded by Dept. Jobs Enterprise and Innovation (€1.9M in
2011) and Managed by Forfás
- Mission is to contribute to Ireland’s continued growth and
development as an economy and as a society that has an active
and informed interest and involvement in STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Maths)
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Overall objectives are to increase the numbers of students
studying the physical sciences, to promote a positive attitude to
careers in STEM and to foster a greater understanding of science
and its value to Irish society.
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Target audience for DSE includes students at all levels, (with a
particular focus on primary and secondary) their parents and
teachers, as well as the wider public.
2. Science Week Ireland 2011
13th to 20th November
www.scienceweek.ie
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Nationwide STEM Awareness Week
Theme “The Chemistry of Life”
100 key partners (including 18 Corporate Partners)
500 events designed to engage young people
115,000+ direct participants
Events at Libraries, Factories, Higher Education etc.
Support funding to regional events in Sligo, Galway,
Mayo, Limerick, Cork and Waterford
• Lecture Series in Dublin at Science Gallery,
Belvedere College, National Gallery, RIA
3. DSE Summary of Activity 2010
Primary Science and Maths
– 5,000 teachers trained
– 92% of primary schools
– 250,000 pupils
– 400 Excellence Awards/yr
Second Level Science
– 200 secondary schools
– 25 Tutors
Science Week (115,000 participants)
- 100 partners (505 plus events)
Working through Partnerships
( STEPS to Engineering, CEIA, BT Young Scientist,
Intel – “Scifest”, Abbott, Science Gallery, ESA)
Mathematics Initiatives – 6 + modules
Leveraging 3 Euro for every 1 Euro
4. Additional Focus for 2011 !!
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Support for Project Maths
Additional Engineering Outreach
Second level pilots and Careers
Leveraging partner input at €4 to €1 from DSE
Investigating more European programmes to add value for
DSE
• Engaging Industry to “open doors” to show young people what
a career is like
These areas were identified for additional focus/funding by:
SMART Economy report ( 2008)
Innovation Task Force (2009)
Evaluation Report of Discover Science and Engineering (2009)
Project Maths Implementation Support Group (June 2010)
“Government for National Recovery 2011 – 2016”
THANK YOU! www.discover-science.ie
www.discover-science.ie
2004 Science Week
Ireland
Other Background
Information
November
7-14, 2004
Forfás, Wilton Park House, Dublin 2
tel +353 1 6073008, mob +353 87 2435 867,
www.discover-science.ie
peter.brabazon@forfas.ie
1. Young People’s Programmes
supporting Curriculum Change
Primary School Science Initiatives
• Discover Primary Science with Maths Modules
• Awards of Science and Maths Excellence
• GreenWave.ie in Europe from 2011
Secondary School Science Initiatives
• Discover Sensors (Junior Cert. Science)
• Scifest (with Intel and 14 IoTs)
• Careers (CareersPortal.ie and the DSE site
MyScienceCareer.ie)
2. Awareness Programmes supporting
Careers and Jobs
Events
• Science Week ’10 - (13 Nov ‘11)
– 505 events nationwide on third of previous budget
• St. Patrick’s Festival(up to 3,500 visitors to “Science Zone”)
• BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition
– Sponsored Maths Award and Maths Workshop
• Main sponsor and partner of Maths & Engineering
Weeks
Communications
• Internet
– Usage increasing and part of new internet strategy
– Partnering with Careersportal.ie from launch Apr. ‘08
3. Partnership
• Strategic Partnerships
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“STEPS to Engineering" of Engineers Ireland
Cork Electronic Industry Association (CEIA)
Scifest with Intel
“Six cities” for Science Week, etc.
Mallow Development Project
Other
• Exploration Station (Board Member)
– Interactive Science Centre interpreting the brief of Discover
Science and Engineering
• Dublin City of Science 2012
- Chairman of Public Engagement Working Group and
other support
Working through Partnerships
Business
• Science Week
- Microsoft, Abbott, etc
• Scifest
- Intel plus BT, Abbott, local industry etc.
• Young Scientist,
- RDS
• “On-line Careers”
- ICT Ireland/Irish Software Association
Institutional
• Various shows
- Science Gallery
• City of Science
- Chief Scientific Adviser
• STEPS to Engineering - Engineers Ireland
Educational
- Teachers, incl Training Colleges
- DES, NCCA (Science and Maths), NCTE
- ISTA, INTO
Commercial Contracts - Drury, AMAS, Xwerx, H2, Begley etc
Common “Key Skills” for both
Education & Business Partners
• Information Processing
– Incl. Recording, organising, summarising and integrating information
• Critical and Creative thinking
– Incl. Examining patterns and relationships, classifying and ordering
information
• Communicating
– Incl. Engaging in dialogue, listening attentively and eliciting opinions,
views and emotions
• Working With Others
– Incl. Working with others in a variety of contexts with different goals
and purposes
• Being Personally effective
– Identifying, evaluating and achieving personal goals, including
developing and evaluating actions plans
(National Council for Curriculum
and Assessment (NCCA))
4. Space and Mathematics Initiatives
• European Space Education Resource Office (ESERO)
– Teacher support. Incl Primary School modules
– Using the existing DSE networks for delivery
– “Our Place in Space” theme of Science Week 2010
• Maths
– Primary School pilot-projects
– Awareness Campaign – Maths Week plus new presenters
– Support to others, particularly Maths Week & Project maths
Awareness Outputs
• Discover Primary Science (DPS) a flagship project of DSE with
5,00 teachers in 92% of primary schools and 135,000 pupils
benefiting annually
• 2010 saw 128 pieces of DPS media
– Combined circulation 2,309,667
• Sensors - 1,000 in SciFest Awards 2010, with all 14 Institutes
of technology, funded by DSE and Intel.
• April to June 2010 SciFest received 117 placements
– Combined circulation of 1,630,200
• Science Week is Ireland’s biggest annual promotion of
science115,000 participants at 505 Science events (2010)
involving 100 partner organisations.
– “The Chemistry of Life” 13th – 20th November 2011
• Internet- 11 sites supporting each project area including all
content, dissemination and registration etc.
- Cost and effectiveness benefits
Science Week Media Results
2010
2009
2008
2007
Total
238
222
314
92
National
Print
35
35
39
22
Radio
15
15
19
13
TV
7
5
5
11
181
167
211
46
Regional
Print
Career Advice- The Information Gap
70% of 18 year olds are continuing into third level, as did
35% of their parents or 15% of grandparents
www.discover-science.ie