EUREKA International Science & Engineering Fair

Inspiring and Promoting Excellence in STEM Education

‘Basic education is not sufficient to create wealth, to address concerns of food, water and energy security, to provide better health services and better infrastructure.  For that, science is required’

Adnan Badran and Moneef Aou’bi  UNESCO Science Report 2010

• Our fast changing world requires today’s students to be problem solvers and critical thinkers. Participating in the Eureka Young Scientists & Engineers Fair promotes this type of learning and encourages students to use authentic research practices to create innovative solutions to real-world problems. No matter how simple or complicated the investigation the Eureka experience takes students to a level beyond just memorising facts. Having learned to work collaboratively, solve problems and communicate and present their ideas they will be more likely to leave school equipped with the necessary skills to become the innovators of tomorrow.

• Eureka aims to encourage a love of science through active, collaborative, inquiry-based learning and to provide a forum for students at local/regional level to present, display and communicate their scientific investigations.

• Eureka is modelled on SciFest, the national Irish STEM fair which was piloted in 2007 and launched nationwide in Ireland in 2008. It has grown rapidly to become the largest second-level project-based STEM competition in Ireland. Using the SciFest model Eureka will develop an international science fair allowing students of all abilities and backgrounds from primary and secondary level to participate in Eureka and to experience the magic of science and technology.

• Eureka@School is where schools organize their own in-house science fair.  Resources and background materials are provided here on the Eureka webpages.

• Eureka@College is a series of one-day science fairs for secondary school students hosted by Colleges and Universities . Eureka@College provides an opportunity for students to present their scientific investigations to peers and judges from enterprise and academia and to receive feedback on their projects.  Lectures on exciting areas of science, less-formal laboratory demonstrations and hands-on activities as well as science career advice are also provided by the colleges and Universities.

• Eureka@IgniteFair is where each of the Best Project Award winners at Eureka@College is invited to exhibit at the national final.  Projects are evaluated and one project is selected to represent Cyprus at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) which is held annually in May in the US.