NUI Galway is challenging primary and secondary school students across Ireland to create videos on science topics for the ReelLIFE SCIENCE competition and perhaps win more than €3,000 in prizes.
The makers of the best entertaining and educational short video at primary and secondary school level will each receive €1,000, to be spent on promoting science in the winning school.
Second and third-place entries at each level will receive €300 and €200, respectively.
NUI Galway’s Dr Enda O’Connell came up with ReelLIFE SCIENCE, and she said there is huge enthusiasm among students for using hands-on science to investigate the world around them, whether it’s exploring the plants and animals in their school garden or the food in their lunchboxes.
“A great way of communicating this is by using video cameras, tablets or even smartphones to make a short movie for their friends, parents and teachers to enjoy,” O’Connell said.
The closing date for entries into the ReelLIFE SCIENCE competition is 17 October.
The winning schools will be announced during the week beginning 10 November to coincide with Science Week 2014.
The competition’s judging panel will include Stephen Curry, professor of structural biology at Imperial College London and science writer with The Guardian; Aoibhinn Ní Shúilleabháin, lecturer in mathematics at University College Dublin, radio and TV broadcaster, columnist and author; and Paul Clarke, St Paul’s College, Raheny, winner of the SciFest National Final 2013 and Overall Winner of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2014.
Science student image via Shutterstock