Cell Explorers at Galway Science & Technology Festival Exhibition day 2024!
Families, community members from Galway and beyond took part in modelling their own cells, extracting banana DNA, and saving the world from another pandemic as part of Cell Explorers workshops held at the Galway Science and Technology Festival (GSTF) family exhibition day on the 10th of November!
This year, the University of Galway Cell Explorers team was made of 52 volunteers who directly engaged 407 young people and their family members. The team delivered 13 workshop sessions, and, in collaboration with Foróige and GSTF, also hosted 19 VIP families - allowing 65 participants to experience the festival for the first time.
We had three hands-on science workshops on offer: Fantastic DNA, Little Cells, and our Escape Room.
In the Fantastic DNA workshop, young people (aged 8-12 years old) were introduced to the exciting world of living things, cells and DNA, and were guided by CE explainers on how to extract DNA from bananas. This workshop was led by CE volunteers Aoife O’Connell (PhD researcher) and Manuela Mohareb (1st year medicine) who are experienced team leaders. The Fantastic DNA team ran 5 workshops with a total number of 185 participants, 107 children and 78 adults!
Snapshots of the Fantastic DNA workshop room by Aengus McMahon
This year, Fyffes provided a crate of 12Kg of banana for the occasion, as they did for GSTF last year - thank you!
All the reagents for the workshop were prepared by our amazing prep volunteering team led by Caleb Morin, a second year medical student and prep lab manager. Our lab prep team prepared an incredible 250 kits for the GSTF family day, and over 1,000 kits in total over this semester!
In the Little Cells workshops, young people (aged 5-7 years old) found out more about the organs of the body, what they do to keep us alive and how cells are key for their function. The workshop ends by making either a mini heart, neuron, or red blood cells from jumping clay – they could also turn this into a key ring or phone charm! This workshop was led by CE volunteer Alison Graham, PhD researcher in microbiology, who has developed the training and the set up of the workshop since 2018. There were 5 Little Cells workshops with a total number of 128 participants, 71 children and 57 adults.
Snapshots of the Little Cells workshops attendees. Photo by Aengus McMahon
In the CE Escape room, young people (aged 12 years and up) searched for clues, solved puzzles and conducted experiments to identify a patient with a virus to avoid a new lockdown and escape the room! This workshop was led by Sarah-Beth Bradley and Emily Plant, members of the coordination team working on the GROWS (Giving Real Opportunities to Widen Participation in STEM) project. There were 3 sessions of the escape room, with a total number of 94 participants, 59 children and 25 adults.
Cracking the code in the CE Escape room. Photo by Aengus McMahon
The VIP family experience was run for the second time in collaboration with Foróige and Galway Science and Technology Festival. As part of the Medtronic Foundation funded GROWS project aimed at widening participation in STEM, we hosted 19 families for a very special visit to the festival. Families were enthusiastically welcomed to campus in their own headquarters for the day by Dr Talia Arcari, GROWS project manager; Niamh Frehill, Medtronic Galway representative; and Megan Depinna, senior youth worker at Foróige and collaborator on the GROWS project.
After their welcoming, families were provided with a schedule of events, tickets to Fantastic DNA, Little Cells or the CEER workshops and for other exciting shows and exhibitions at the festival and lunch. Families were guided through campus by some exceptional Cell Explorers University Ambassadors and sent off with some very fun science goodie bags! The event was run by Talia Arcari alongside Megan Depinna and Anne Murray of the festival. Stay tuned for a video on the experience!
The team of Cell Explorers University Ambassadors to the VIP Families hosted on the day
from left to right: Miriam Stiavnicka, Manju Mani, Saurabveer Singh, Marion Shungih Nana, Sophia Doherty, Caitlin Dunne, Irza Yousaf and Dr Talia Arcari. Phot Muriel Grenon
We also had some special visitors from University of Bordeaux and the University of the Basque Country with whom we are excited to collaborate soon under the SHARE Enlight + project. This project will build capacity in science education and public engagement withing the Enlight network by piloting and establishing an educational outreach initiative, based on the Cell EXPLORERS model, on these 2 Universities that are part of the Enlight network. All our visitors did a wonderful job helping us prepare and deliver the festival, and we hope they had a fantastic time learning about what we do as well as exploring Galway City!
The SHARE project team includes our visiting guests from University of Bordeaux and Bilbao and the CE University of Galway Coordination team. Left to right, Dr Talia Arcari, Dr Silke Kleefeld, Prof Maren Ortiz-Zarragoitia (UPV), Dr Esther Blanco (UPV), Prof Karen Gaudin (UB), Prof Stephanie Cluzet (UB), Dr Tifanie Briaudeau (UPV), Wiktoria Serafin (UB postgraduate researcher) and Dr. Muriel Grenon. Photo by Aengus McMahon.
It was a fantastic day for everyone involved – which is reflected in the feedback left by participants - and collected by Talia Arcari, Cell Explorers National coordinator!
"I really liked the experiment, the theme of DNA and chromosomes is very interesting"
Fantastic DNA participant
"That was amazing. I’ve never done this before. Very cool experiment. Stephanie and Clara are amazing scientists."
Fantastic DNA participant
"Stephanie and Paola were excellent explaining everything and kind and patient with children and great explaining everything and made fun. Thank you"
Parent/Guardian - Fantastic DNA
"It was good, I liked making the love heart. I learned about the body"
Little Cells participant
"Very inspiring people leading the way!"
Parent/Guardian - Little Cells
Thank you to the Galway Science Technology Festival and University of Galway for hosting us, and to their volunteers for managing our doors! – and to all the young people and family members that got involved in some science for the day.
We are already looking forward to GSTF 2025!!
Thank you !
The Galway Science and technology Festival has been collaborating and supporting us since 2013.
The Cell EXPLORERS workshops delivered this year were supported by the Medtronic Foundation GROWS project award. The Cell EXPLORERS programme is also supported by the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, the College of Science and Engineering and the Galway University Foundation at University of Galway.
The operation of the National Network, development and dissemination of Fantastic DNA and Little Cells, and the development of the CE Escape Room and Science Club are supported by Science Foundation Ireland. The dissemination of the CE Escape Room and Science Club and Families experiential events are supported by the Medtronic Foundation, under the Giving Real Opportunities to Widen participation in STEM (GROWS) project.
Bananas for Fantastic DNA were kindly donated by Fyffes Ireland.
About Medtronic Foundation:
The Medtronic Foundation partners to improve lives for underserved and underrepresented populations worldwide, and support communities where Medtronic employees live and give. For more information, please visit medtronicfoundation.org.
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