Cllr Gearoid Murphy of Cork County Council Economic Development Fund presenting a sponsorship cheque to Tom Cronin, Chair of the Education Pillar of Mallow Development Partnership (MDP), with members of the Munster Maths and Science Fair Organising Committee; standing, John McDonnell (Vice Chair, MDP), Anthony Hayes, Vincent Joyce, Jerry Mullally, Richard Dempsey, Tim Sheehan, Tadhg Curtis, and Alex Grassick; sitting, Catherine ORegan, Project Co-ordinator, MDP, Rosarie Bolster, Cllr Gearóid Murphy , Tom Cronin, and Jerry Lynch.
This Sunday, 14th October, sees the one of the largest Maths and Science Fairs in the country taking place in Mallow. The event, which is in its eighth year, is organised by Mallow Development Partnership, with almost 5,000 people attending this FREE event in 2017. Robotics, coding, 3D imagining, micro-scopes, drones, scientific experiments, physics demonstrations, research explorations, are only some of the items to challenge the mind. The Fair, which is well-established as a major science festival, is recog-nised as a key exhibition for both primary and secondary schools students to attend. There will be free entry and it is suitable for all age groups, with a wide array of engaging and interactive experiments and workshops.
The aim of hosting the Maths and Science Fair is to showcase the ‘fun side’ of maths and science and dispel the fear that many students associate with these subjects by show-casing wonderful everyday examples of how maths and science impacts on our everyday lives, and such an event also provides students with the opportunity to meet with professionals who can offer career advice.
Over the past number of years, Mallow Develop-ment Partnership has been to the fore in promoting STEM in the local schools of the Mallow area. An extension of the Mallow Maths and Science Primary Schools Project, the Fair was originally established to showcase the schools’ projects, however it has now exceeded all expec-tations by hosting key exhibitors from across all areas of STEM, while attracting a significant attendance. The part-icipating schools in the local area continue to form a key component of the event by showcasing their engaging and informative exhibits, displaying a wide variety of the various maths and science elements such as light, heat, volume, gravity, air etc.
Year-on-year, the Fair also attracts a broad range of industry, research and third level institutes, with a growing number of local flagship companies joining the exhibitors list include Kostal, Dairygold, EPS (Electric Pump Services), Grasstec and Hobart/AV Pound. These are joined by key exhibitors Lifetime Labs, Blackrock Castle Observatory, Outdoor Exploration Dome, Cork CIT Sports Department, Institute of Physics, Maths Week (Waterford Institute Technology), Mary Immaculate College, UCC College of Science, Engineering and Food Science, Anyone for Science, and Cork Institute of Technology.
Other well-known companies showcasing their linkages with maths and science include Eli Lily, CEIA and Honer APG Europe, ERVIA, along with research institutes such as Teagasc Research Centre, LERO (Irish Software Engineering Research Centre), Nimbus Research Centre, Inland Fisheries and also the wonderful Griston Bog Project by Ballyhoura Development).
For many of those who end up pursuing a career in maths and science, it all starts with participating in junior stem clubs such as Mallow Coderdojo, who will once again attend to show how simple coding can be, while gaming wizards Blizzard Entert-ainment will entertain and demonstrate what goes on behind the scenes before we get to enjoy the games on our screens. Mimi Education Toys are joining this year to showcase the large range of STEM educational games and toys which are available to buy/order in the lead-up to Christmas.
Finally, one of the major attractions on the day is the team from the Irish Defence Forces who will showcase how they use maths and science in their everyday work such as bomb disposal, communications, ordnance survey, and many other areas in which they employ innovative methods.
All these exhibitors show-case a different feature of maths and science, and in doing so widen our horiz-ons as to the many career options available in a world where the future is now driven by STEM.
You won’t want to miss this great family day out which will take place at the impressive Mallow GAA Complex in Carrigoon from 11.30am to 4.30pm on Sunday. Mallow Develop-ment Partnership is delighted to host the Fair each year, and wishes to acknowledge the ongoing support of the two main sponsors – Cork County Council’s Economic Devel-opment Fund, and the Irish American Partnership. Other generous supporters include Mallow Credit Union and Grasstec Ltd. Please check out the Mallow Development Partnership Facebook page for further updates.