On Tuesday 29th April, Castleknock Educate Together were crowned overall winners of the 2024/2025 Intel Mini Scientist competition, beating students from across Ireland at the hotly contested grand final. Prahaladh Pradeep won the award for his Evac Smart project developing a smart evacuation system. The system detects smoke and lights up the safest path for exit from the building.
Joe Bolger, Vice President and Intel Ireland Factory Manager, presented the students with their prizes, along with scientist and broadcaster Phil Smyth. As part of the prize, the overall winning school will receive a grant of €1000 from Intel.
This year, over 6,800 students from 94 schools in 18 counties participated in the Mini Scientist competition. The Grand Final brought together the top 80 projects from around the country. From generating electricity to studying what makes your heart tick, these young scientists “really blew our socks off!”, said the judges.
The event marked the culmination of a nationwide competition that began in September 2024.4th, 5th, and 6th class students from schools all over Ireland participated in the eighteenth annual Intel Mini Scientist competition, engaging in project-based learning and exhibitions to explore the world of science. Starting with projects within their own schools, Intel employees visited each participating school to assess projects for the grand final. One project from each school was invited to attend the grand final this year.
Intel Vice President Joe Bolger was thrilled to welcome these pre-teen prodigies to the grand final held in TU Dublin. “This is our largest Mini-Scientist competition ever and shows the interest in science among our young people. The standard of this year’s projects is excellent, and they are a credit to the pupils and the teachers who supported them in entering the competition. Encouraging scientific endeavours at all levels in our schools will ensure a bright future for our young people.”
Commenting on the overall winning project Head Judge, Sheila Porter, Scifest Founder & CEO said, “The Intel Mini Scientist competition is a wonderful opportunity for young people from national schools and gaelscoileanna across the country to showcase their scientific knowledge. The breath of projects ranging from the benefits of eating beetroot for aerobic fitness to a project on hydro electricity and the level of knowledge demonstrated by today’s finalists has been truly impressive”.
We are proud to announce the full list of winners for the 2024/2025 Intel Mini Scientist Competition;
Grand Final Overall Winner
- Prahaladh Pradeep, Castleknock Educate Together School won the award for his Evac Smart project developing a smart evacuation system.
Runner-up Awards
- Scoil na Mainstreach, Quinn-Dangan, Co. Clare
- St Laurence’s NS, Sallins, Co. Kildare
- St Raphaela’s NS, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin
- Wicklow Montessori Primary School, Wicklow.
- Grange NS, Fermoy, Co. Cork
- Cratloe NS, Co. Clare
- St Coen’s NS, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow.
Special Awards: Additional special prizes were awarded as follows:
Best Communication Award
- Holy Family, NS, Rathcoole, Co. Dublin
Sustainability Award
- Scoil an Linbh Íosa, Prosperous, Co. Kildare.
Best Project Book Award
- Lusk SNS, Co. Dublin
Best Visual Display Award
- Baltydaniel National School, Twopothouse, Co. Cork
Most Innovative Award:
- Scoil Mhuire Fatima
Congratulations to all the students who participated in the 2025 Mini Scientist Grand Final. To see more of the fun and behind the scenes activities, visit the Intel Ireland flickr.
