The success of the CE National Network in 2021

The Cell EXPLORERS National network continued to engage young people in hands-on science remotely during 2021. Building on the success of our Fantastic DNA in a Box session, our network delivered 97 science kits to 66 schools across Ireland. This means that over 2,600 pupils and their teachers got to individually extract DNA from a banana, whilst using the authentic science materials provided in our Fantastic DNA ‘Box’.

For the Fantastic DNA in a Box visits, teachers have the option to deliver the session independently in their classrooms aided by teacher resources, or have some Cell EXPLORERS explainers facilitate the session remotely online. There were 50+ online sessions done in 2021, which gave young people the opportunity to interact with a real scientist, and ask them questions.

“The class loved working as ‘real scientists’. They would already have a good interest level but this really enhanced it” [Teacher feedback]

“I felt like a real scientist and that made it all the more interesting” [Pupil feedback, Dundalk IT]

“I don’t know what job I’d like and it put Scientist in my mind” [Pupil feedback, ATU Donegal]

“It helped them see a career in real science and experience a real experiment” [Teacher feedback]

“It was novel for them to ‘meet’ real scientists and to be able to ask them about their jobs and science in general” [Teacher feedback]

Read more about the activity of our network teams, and the impact they had on their young people locally, by visiting their webpage, and scrolling the infographic section at the bottom of the page!