BT commits 75,000 grant to regional schools across Ireland
Significant financial aid provided by BT enables students to compete at the 2015 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition
Dublin, 31 July, 2014: BT has reinforced its commitment to support schools across Ireland to enter the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition with a €75,000 accommodation grant.
Since introducing the scheme in 2006, BT has distributed 1,115 grants to over 330 schools across the Republic and North of Ireland, amounting to a total figure of €488,700. Increased in 2012 to €75,000 per year, the BT grant offers more incentives for the competition and allows an ever increasing number of young people from both rural and urban areas spanning 32 counties to participate in the exhibition.
Schools which are located over 70km from the RDS in Dublin, the home of the exhibition, are eligible to apply for a grant of €150 per individual entry or €300 for a group entry, up to a maximum of €1,500 per school.
Schools in Limerick, for example, have received €38,900 to date under the BT grant scheme. Speaking about the scheme, Donal Enright a teacher from Desmond College in Limerick, commented,
“Our school is very competitive and we have a proud history of success at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. This grant scheme is a real help in getting students to the competition, contributing significantly to transport and accommodation costs. I have brought students to the exhibition every year for the past decade and each year I am more and more impressed by the calibre and creativity of the entries. I would recommend those students and their teachers interested in participating to get thinking and enter a project before 1st October.”
The 2015 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition will take place in the RDS, Dublin from 7th -10th January 2015 and the closing date for entries is 1st October, 2014. There are over 120 awards to be won including the prestigious BT Young Scientist & Technologist of the Year which was won by Paul Clarke of St. Paul’s College, Raheny in January this year.
In addition, BT is offering 60 participating students both in Northern and the Republic of Ireland the opportunity to take part in BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamps in Dublin and Belfast, an intensive commercialisation skills programme that helps students transform their ideas into a real business opportunity.
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition is organised by BT Ireland, one of the country’s leading communications and networked IT service providers, and is supported by a number of valued partners including the Department of Education & Skills, Analog Devices, Intel, Perrigo and RTE. For more information on the exhibition and for details on how to enter, log onto www.btyoungscientist.com or follow the exhibition on Twitter @btyste.
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