Science Summer School Competitions

As part of our Science Summer School activities, we have a number of competitions and opportunities for schools across the Mid & East Antrim area to get involved in science, businesses, marketing and product development.

What’s Your Flavour? - Ice Cream Competition

We are asking P4 and P5 pupils to design a new flavour of ice-cream and marketing poster to promote this fantastic new product.

There will be two winning pupils who will see their flavour developed by one of our local ice-cream manufacturers. The winner and their classmates will be able to meet the ice-cream maker, taste their product and find out more about running an ice-cream business.

Marketing is very important for businesses to tell customers about their products and attract new customers. A business can market their products in many different ways including through television and radio advertising, online, social media, posters and newspapers.

We are asking you to create a new ice cream flavour and design a poster to promote this new product.

To help you develop your ideas please think about the questions on the downloadable application form (2MB) first before designing your poster.

The winner and their class will either visit The Milk Parlour, Glenarm Estate or receive a visit to their school from True Gelato, to find out more about ice-cream production and taste the winning flavour on Thursday 26 October 2023. Transport will be provided.

Closing date: 12 noon on Friday 13 October 2023

Download the ice-cream competition entry form (2MB)

YENI Primary School Business Challenge

We are partnering with Young Enterprise to launch an online Business Challenge Competition for children in the borough in P6.

The Business Challenge will introduce the students to what a business is and how it uses product packaging to communicate with their customers.

Students will then be challenged to design the branding/packaging for a new juice carton. The students will be encouraged to think about sustainability in the design of their new juice carton.

Support material will include Business Volunteer Videos, interactive activities and worksheets and instructions/guidance for teachers.

Throughout the challenge, young people will learn about the essence of business, the importance of sustainability and gain an insight into the world of work. This initiative will enable the young people to develop their employability skills and explore their entrepreneurial talent.

All participating entries will have the opportunity to compete for a 1st prize voucher of £50.00 and a 4 x Runner Up vouchers of £25.00

Closing date: Friday 20 October 2023

Cosmic Classrooms

We are working with the Armagh Observatory and Planetarium, as part of the Science Summer School initiative, to bring the wonders of the solar system direct to your school with their brand-new ‘Cosmic Classrooms’, offering an out of this world adventure from the comfort of your school!

In an exciting competition, pupils across the Borough in Key Stage 1 & 2 are being asked to show us what you know about climate change by illustrating a superpower that could help protect our planet!

This ‘superpower’ could include illustrations of who or what has inspired you to help protect the planet. Examples of superpowers include recycling, turning off lights/electrical items, litter picking, walking instead of driving, making fun recipes with leftovers, regifting toys to your friends/family, doing a clothes swap etc.

Two lucky winners (one from Key Stage 1, one from Key Stage 2) will win a Cosmic Classroom session for their class. Through this exciting prize, students will learn how to navigate the night sky and travel to their favourite planets all from the comfort of the classroom. They can test their knowledge with a quick-thinking quiz and get the chance to ask the experts what they have always wanted to know about space!

The winning posters will also be on show at The Braid Civic Centre in Ballymena and will achieve borough-wide acclaim through a local press release! We’ll also invite representatives from the class to meet the Mayor, to explain the detail behind their superpower design!

Closing date: 12noon on Friday 17 November 2023

How do I enter?

Download the application form and then send it to as per below...

The competition is open to pupils in KS1 and KS2 classes in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Area.
Each school should send the entry forms with the detailed sketch together to: amplify@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or post to : Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Christine Barnhill, Silverwood Business Park, 190 Raceview Road, Ballymena, BT42 4HY
Closing date for entries is 12noon on Friday 17 November 2023. Winners will be notified by 1 December 2023.

HORIZONS: A 21st Century Space Odyssey

We are offering students in Years 11-14 an exciting opportunity to win a pair of tickets to see HORIZONS: A 21st Century Space Odyssey, with Professor Brian Cox CBE, at Belfast Waterfront Theatre on Wednesday 24 January 2024!

Having set two Guinness World Records with his previous sell-out World Tour, Professor Brian Cox is back in regional theatres to see off the sell-out Arena tour HORIZONS. Horizons has taken over 250,000 people across three continents on a dazzling journey; a story of how we came to be and what we can become. What is the nature of space and time? How did life begin, how rare might it be and what is the significance of life in the Cosmos? What does it mean to live a small, finite life in a vast, eternal Universe?

We are seeking talented secondary school students in Years 11-14, with a real interest and desire to make a career in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics be it ‘space-related’ or in another STEAM-connected industry.

We want to hear about your career aspirations, what is motivating you, driving you and why. What change do you hope to make in the future? If you had one legacy goal, what would it be? It does not have to be SPACE-related but should connect with STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) in some way.

Answers should be no more than 800 words and students can include images in their answers.

Winners will also be invited to meet the Mayor in a special celebratory event.

Closing date: 12noon on Friday 1 December 2023

How do I enter?

The competition is open to pupils in Years 11 - 14 in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Area
Each school should send the entry forms to: amplify@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or post to: Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Christine Barnhill, Silverwood Business Park, 190 Raceview Road, Ballymena, BT42 4HY
Closing date for entries is 12noon on Friday 1 December 2023. Winners will be notified when schools return in January 2024.

You can also download this information as a pdf leaflet.

Sustainable Future

As part of the Science Summer School initiative, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council are asking pupils in Years 8-10 to create a sustainable future for all by creating a space that will incorporate a number of sustainable and carbon emission reduction technologies, demonstrating your understanding of climate change, sustainability and ‘clean tech’ opportunities available.

We are asking pupils you to use materials from around the home and school to create this bespoke design – it could be a home, a park, an indoor or outdoor recreation centre, etc., which could be made from old shoe boxes, delivery cardboard boxes, cotton wool, plastics, tin/cans, paper and many other materials. Designs should be in 3D form and could take the shape of a cross section of a sustainable home or a model of a new sustainable recreation area. The possibilities are endless.

We would love to see elements including:

Energy (insulation, solar panels, heat pumps)
Water use (rain harvesting, water butts)
Waste/recycling (recycling containers, bins)
Electric vehicles (charge points)
‘Grow your own’ for sustainable food

The winner and their class will be invited to visit Ecos Sustainability Hub to find out more about renewable energy technology, reedbed filtration systems, as well as sustainable food management and biodiversity.

Closing date: 12noon on Friday 1 December 2023

How do I enter?

Download, complete and return this downloadable application form.

The competition is open to pupils in Years 8 - 10 in the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Area
There will be designated drop off points for entries at:
Ballymena Schools - drop off at The Shadowgrounds
Larne Schools - drop off at the Sir Thomas Dixon Building
Carrickfergus Schools - drop off at the Education Room, Civic Centre

Entries should be marked to the attention of Christine Barnhill, Economic Development.
Please ensure that the Pupil Name, School, Year, Teacher Name and Teacher Contact Details (e-mail and phone number) are clearly identified on the model. Council will be unable to consider any without these details attached.
Closing date for entries is 12noon on Friday 1 December 2023. Winners will be notified by Friday 15 December 2023.
The date for the visit will be agreed in advance with the winning school to ensure the date suits the school schedule.