Science Hub at Learning Hub Limerick

description

My name is Sean O' Brien. I am a Science Education graduate from the University of Limerick and currently I am the co-ordinator of a project at the Learning Hub Limerick called Science Hub. The Learning Hub is based in the North side of Limerick city and it provides children from the local community with extra educational resources such as after school Science clubs to which otherwise they may have no access.

Limerick city has one of the highest dropout rates of post-primary school pupils in the country with an average of 25% not completing their Leaving Cert exams and 10% leaving school before sitting the Junior Cert exam. Attitudes towards science are also particularly low among children who attend a school with designated disadvantaged status (DEIS schools).

The overall aim of the Science Hub is to give primary school children a more positive, hands-on experience of Science than is feasible in primary schools so as to allow them to make more informed choices when it comes to studying science at second level. Through all the activities in the Learning Hub we hope to inspire children and young people to continue their education to Leaving Cert level and give them the opportunity to go on to third level.

What we have done so far?
The Science Hub pilot project began in September of 2011 with a group of 15 children from the community. Partly funded by Discover Science & Engineering as well as a contribution from the University of Limerick, we ran the project through until May of 2012. Surveys of the participants as well as focus group testing indicated that the children's attitudes towards science greatly improved as a result of the Science Hub with nearly all of those who took part wanting to study science at second level.

What do we plan for the future?
In the coming year we plan to expand the Science Hub to cater for more children and local primary schools. At present in 2012, we have worked with 5 primary schools from the locality, providing approximately 125 children and 5 teachers with a 4 hour experience of Science Hub each. 15 children from the local community have also attended our after school Science Club weekly. We would like to greatly increase these numbers in the future.

How can you help?
The funds raised here will allow us to provide Science Hub to 6 more schools in the Limerick city area. It will also enable us to provide our 10 week after school Science Club programme to 60 more children from the locality. We will also be able to run a Science Summer camp for 30 children. Any additional funding will be spent on Science equipment and improving the facilities in the Science Hub so as to expand our repertoire of experiments.

I would like to thank you for your interest in our project.

Sean O' Brien (Science Hub Coordinator)
Learning Hub Limerick,
Killeely House,
Kileely,
Limerick.