Bantry exchange student wins climate science award

A Spanish exchange student at a Bantry school has taken home the prestigious EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award at the SciFest@MTU 2024 regional competition.

Now in its 19th consecutive year, the SciFest event attracts 12,000 student participants each year, with the aim of promoting STEM education and providing a platform for students to present and display their scientific projects.

SciFest@MTU is one of 16 regional contests in colleges across Ireland, with contests also running in schools, and winners then get the chance to compete in the national finals in November of this year.

The winner of the national final will be given the opportunity to represent Ireland at the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair in Columbus, Ohio next year.

Mar Doblado Fernandez from Coláiste Pobail Bheanntraí was one of hundreds of second-level students from across Cork that came together to compete in the STEM fair.

The student was one of four students from the school to participate with Alannah O’Connor, Karis Vukajlovic, and Christa Tan also attending the competition on Friday.

Ms O’Connor and Ms Vukajlovic won the Life Science Award.

Mar impressed judges with her project ‘The effects of imported plants in the Irish environment’.

EirGrid, the operator and developer of Ireland’s electricity grid, partnered with SciFest to develop the EirGrid Cleaner Climate Award which celebrates students who create climate-focused projects.

The award, introduced in 2023, is presented to the project that best demonstrates the design of a creative, innovative approach that contributes to a cleaner energy future.

As a result of her successful project and award, Ms Doblado Fernandez will go on to compete in the SciFest National Final which takes place later this year.

EirGrid’s interim head of strategy and sustainability Claire Wallace said: “Through our partnership with Scifest, EirGrid is proud to support the promotion of STEM subjects as the next generation is inspired to seek solutions to climate change and the energy transition.”