D’fhógair OÉ Gaillimh go bhfuil €26,900 bailithe ag scéim speisialta foirne chun síntiúis charthanúla a thabhairt. Tá Ciste Carthanachta na hOllscoile ag tacú le 13 charthanas i réigiún na Gaillimhe a bhuíochas le síntiúis mhíosúla agus bronntanais aonuaire i rith 2020. Bhí an méid seo a leanas le rá ag Uachtarán OÉ Gaillimh, an tOllamh Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh: “Gabhaimid buíochas le gach duine den fhoireann a chuidigh le hairgead a bhailiú do charthanais áitiúla. Is é tobar na huile mhaitheasa é. “Is comhartha cumhachtach é freisin go bhfuil ár bhfís agus ár luachanna mar atá meas agus oscailteacht le sonrú ar gach toise dár smaointeoireacht agus saothar, agus léiríonn sé gur féidir le smaointe beaga dlús a chur leis an aird a dhírímid ar leas an phobail agus gur féidir leis na smaointe céanna fás le difear suntasach a dhéanamh do shaol na ndaoine inár bpobal féin.” Tá an ciste á roinnt i measc 13 charthanas a thacaíonn le daoine gan dídean, daoine leochaileacha, daoine le riachtanais bhreise, chomh maith le cuidiú le dul i ngleic le sláinte, sláinte mheabhrach agus féinmharú agus chun ár gcathair agus ár gcontae a dhéanamh níos sábháilte agus níos cineálta. Is iad na carthanais atá i gceist Clann Shíomóin na Gaillimhe; COPE; Ospís na Gaillimhe; na Samáraigh; Naomh Uinseann de Pól; Ionad Éigeandála um Éigniú na Gaillimhe; Croí; Kinvara Alive; Cumann Alzheimer an Iarthair, Gaillimh; Comhpháirtíocht Uathachais na Gaillimhe; Ord Mhálta; Claddagh Watch; Blue Teapot. Dúirt Imelda Byrne, urlabhraí Chiste Carthanachta OÉ Gaillimh: “Thuig Ciste Carthanachta na hOllscoile go rímhaith tionchar na paindéime ar charthanais agus ar a gcumas a gcuid seirbhísí a reáchtáil, freastal ar an éileamh agus airgead a bhailiú. Tá creidiúint saothraithe ag ár gcomhghleacaithe as an mbealach ar thug siad aghaidh ar an dúshlán seo agus an méadú suntasach a tháinig ar shíntiúis na bliana roimhe sin agus tacaíocht curtha ar fáil do 13 charthanas.” Tá Clann Shíomóin na Gaillimhe ar cheann de na carthanais a bhainfidh leas as an gciste, agus mhínigh an príomhfheidhmeannach Karen Golden an difear a dhéanfaidh na síntiúis. “Thacaíomar le níos mó daoine ná riamh in 2020. Bhog 95 teaghlach isteach ina dtithe féin i rith na bliana agus rinne ár bhfoirne obair den scoth le linn na paindéime,” a dúirt Karen Golden. “Cuirfidh an cúnamh ó OÉ Gaillimh ar ár gcumas tacú le níos mó daoine gan dídean agus daoine atá i mbaol a bheith gan dídean inár bpobal agus cabhrú leo fanacht i dtithe uaidh seo amach.” Críoch

The final frontier for engaging school children with Science Technology Engineering Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) learning Researchers at NUI Galway are leading a Science Foundation Ireland Discover programme team with partners University of Limerick, Met Éireann and Lero, the SFI Research Centre for Software, to deliver school children’s projects high into the stratosphere to examine the effects of near space on the experiments. The ‘Spaceship Earth’ project delivered two space themed workshops to primary school children in Galway, Limerick and Kerry. In these workshops children were taught about the importance of Science Technology Engineering Mathematics and Medicine (STEMM) how to ask interesting scientific questions, and then to develop experiments to find the answers. The project involves launching five high altitude weather balloons from Met Éireann’s observatory in Valentia in Co. Kerry on Friday, 2 July. The researchers expect these will reach more than 30Km (100,000 feet) and will expose the payload experiments to the extreme environment of low pressure, low temperature and cosmic radiation. After maximum ascent the space balloon bursts, and a parachute is deployed which ensures a safe landing back to earth. The payload is instrumented with electronics such as GPS, data loggers, and tracking technology to accurately find its return location. Once the experiments return, students will engage in analysis and discussion about their experiments that will extend and deepen students’ learning. Lero’s Professor Derek O’Keeffe, Project Lead and Professor of Medical Device Technology and Director of the HIVE lab at NUI Galway, said: “This exciting Spaceship Earth STEMM outreach project mission aims to inspire and empower students to think big, beyond the horizon and show them that involvement in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine is for everyone." Charles Gillman, Chief Operations Officer at Met Éireann’s Valentia Observatory, said: “Met Éireann has a long history of launching weather balloons at Valentia Observatory, with the first launched in the early 1940s.  Every day since, these balloons have been providing valuable information on current atmospheric conditions that are essential in helping to produce our weather forecasts in Ireland and around the world.” Mr Gillman added: “We are delighted for our weather balloons to play a part in the Spaceship Earth project and look forward to learning the results of this exciting and inspirational STEMM experiment – it really is out of this world!” Potential STEMM experiments include: Learning about randomised control trial design by taking 10 sunflower seeds and allocating five for spaceflight and five to remain as a control and then monitoring their growth afterwards to see the effect of the intervention (spaceflight). Exploring the low-pressure effects of high altitude on the shape of bubble wrap, grapes, or marshmallows. Investigating the high-altitude Environmental effects on a wet sponge – will the water boil off? Examining how zero gravity affects the operation of medical technology? The Spaceship Earth mission included over 300 students in three schools in the west and south of Ireland: Scoil Mhuire, Oranmore, Galway; Scoil Iosagain, CBS, Limerick, and Scoil An Chroi Naofa, Presentation, Tralee Kerry. Principal Edel Carney, Scoil Mhuire, Oranmore, Galway, said: “Spaceship Earth is one of the best STEMM engagement initiatives I have seen in my career. It makes learning about Science fun and has inspired our students.” Over 60 student experiments will be launched on Friday, 2 July, including mission patch artwork that the school children have made, that will be returned to them as a memento of the historic flight. In addition, the Spaceship Earth team will attempt to achieve the world record for highest altitude paper plane flight. Dr Patrick Johnson, School of Education at University of Limerick, said: “This project is a unique opportunity for schools to engage in a novel and exciting venture that aims to develop students’ critical thinking skills, creativity and curiosity, with the additional goal of developing positive dispositions amongst those involved toward STEMM subjects.” As well as experiments, these stratosphere balloons can capture visually stunning pictures of the curvature of Planet Earth with on-board cameras providing an evocative way for people to engage with STEMM and to realise the relationship between STEMM and Art. In addition, it reminds everyone that our unique planet is our spaceship in the universe and that we need to focus all our efforts to avert climate change. Dr Cornelia Connolly, School of Education at NUI Galway and Lero, explained: “This project offers a unique opportunity not just to research attitudinal responses to STEMM but working directly with the teachers and young people we are introducing and showcasing innovative STEMM projects, encouraging engagement.” More information can be found at the Spaceship Earth Project website: www.SpaceShipEarth.ie. -Ends-

NUI Galway has announced that a special scheme for staff to make charitable donations has raised €26,900. The University’s An Ciste Carthanachta is supporting 13 charities in the Galway region thanks to monthly donations and one-off gifts during 2020. President of NUI Galway, Professor Ciarán Ó hÓgartaigh, said: “We thank all of the staff who have contributed to raise funds for local charities. It is kindness made real. “It is also a powerful signal that our vision and values of respect and openness permeate all of our thinking and our work, and it demonstrates that our focus on the public good can begin with modest ideas and grow to make significant differences to the lives of people in our community.” The fund is being shared among 13 charities in the Galway region which support the homeless, the vulnerable and people with additional needs, as well as helping to address health, mental health and suicide, and in making the city and county a safer and more caring place to be. The benefitting charities are Galway Simon Community; COPE; Galway Hospice; Samaritans; St Vincent de Paul; Galway Rape Crisis Centre; Croí; Kinvara Alive; Western Alzheimers Galway; Galway Autism Partnership; Order of Malta; Claddagh Watch; and the Blue Teapot Theatre Company. Imelda Byrne, spokesperson for NUI Galway’s An Ciste Carthanachta, said: “The University’s An Ciste Carthanachta was acutely aware of the impact of the pandemic on charities and their ability to run their services, to meet demand and to raise funds. Our colleagues deserve credit for the way in which they have responded to this perfect storm, with a significant increase in donations on the previous year giving the University the opportunity to support 13 charities.” Galway Simon Community is one of the charities to benefit from the fund, with chief executive Karen Golden explaining the difference the donations are making. "Galway Simon Community supported 646 households in 2020, comprising of 1,216 individuals. In the midst of the pandemic, we were able to prevent hundreds of individuals and families from homelessness thanks to the extraordinary dedication and hard work of our staff and volunteer teams who continued to support clients every single day,” Ms Golden said. “The funds from NUI Galway will enable us to support more people experiencing and at risk of homelessness in our community and to help them to leave homelessness behind for good.” Ends