ESB Science Blast to visit Schools in Roadshow

Children’s TV presenters John Sharpson and Clara Murray visit 13 primary schools as part of ESB Science Blast Roadshow. ESB Science Blast goes electric with ESB Science Blast EV provided by ESB

Day 1 of the ESB Science Blast Roadshow at St. Mary's Woodside NS

21 March, 2022: ESB Science Blast, the RDS’s flagship primary STEM programme, is going on tour! From today (21st March) until Friday 1st of April, RTE presenters, John Sharpson (RTE’s Home School Hub) and Clara Murray (RTEjr), will visit thirteen primary schools across the island of Ireland to find out more about their ESB Science Blast STEM investigations. John and Clara will join in each school’s celebration Showcase event as they display the results of their class investigations.

For the last month, 10,000 primary school children have been working on over 430 STEM investigations in their classrooms, with over 60 projects entirely through Irish. Now each class will present their results and findings to one 280 STEM judges, with backgrounds in academia, education, industry and government, who are volunteering their expertise and time.

The thirteen selected schools are representative of participating schools. They include first time participants, long time participants, small rural schools, DEIS schools, gaelscoileanna and a special education school.

The goal of the roadshow is to celebrate the hard-work, curious questions, and brilliant insights the students have made while carrying out their ESB Science Blast investigations. The RDS wants to show students the fun, excitement, and the diversity within the ESB Science Blast community which they have become a part of.

The roadshow can be followed on social media @esbscienceblast.

Roadshow Schedule

Travelling to 13 primary schools across the island of Ireland:

• 5 Dublin based schools
• 1 in Limerick (Rathkeale)
• 2 in Clare (Shannon and Parteen)
• 2 in Donegal (Glenties)
• 1 in Kildare (Castledermot)
• 1 in Offaly (Birr)
• 1 in Wexford (Gorey)

The Roadshow will be travelling around the country in a special ESB Science Blast electric vehicle, provided by ESB.  Peter O’Shea, Head of Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, ESB said ensuring a carbon neutral journey was important to both RDS and ESB. “We are delighted to support the ESB Science Blast Roadshow team who will travel to schools across the country in one of our electric vehicles, using ESB 's comprehensive public charging network on their journey. We are very proud of our shared commitment with the RDS to bring ESB Science Blast to as many schools as possible across Ireland. After two long years since the last showcase event, it is wonderful to once again witness in person the hugely positive impact ESB Science Blast has in every classroom.”

ESB Science Blast is the flagship programme in the RDS - an innovative, high impact STEM programme, which is now the largest primary STEM programme on the Island of Ireland. It is an ambitious programme aiming to shape a generation of primary level students ensuring that they develop skills which allows them to be critical thinkers and future change makers who will thrive in the 21st Century.

Niamh De Loughry, RDS Deputy Chief Executive, Foundation commented, “Despite the challenges of the last two years, ESB Science Blast has continued to be a leading STEM experience for primary schools. This year we have built on the success of our 2021 online event, with an increase of 150% in participating classes. We are thrilled to have so many schools engage with us.

The RDS recognises that it is important to important to teach children more than science and mathematics concepts. ESB Science Blast focuses on hands-on learning with real-world applications to develop a variety of skill sets, including creativity and 21st-century skills.

The Roadshow provides a perfect opportunity to celebrate the hard-work, curious questions, and brilliant insights the students have made, across many disciplines, while carrying out their ESB Science Blast investigations.”