On Friday 28 April 2023, at the Hall of Events of the Ministry of Education and Culture, the award ceremony was held for the students who excelled in the competition for the writing of a research paper on the Science of Meteorology. The event was held under the auspices of the Minister of Education and Culture, Dr. Athena Michaelidou.
The competition is organized by the Cyprus Meteorological Association and the Ministry of Education and Culture (Physics Inspectorate), for the 17th consecutive year and is dedicated to the memory of Maria Poyatzis, who lost her life in the tragic air crash of Helios in August 2005.
The competition aims to bring together and familiarise students attending public and private secondary schools with the scientific/research processes and at the same time promote the consolidation of environmental awareness and the development of an environmental culture in cooperation with community stakeholders.
The theme of the competition for this school year was: "Photography, description and scientific explanation of a spectacular Meteorological Phenomenon (storm cloud (CB), lightning, rainbow, hail, fog and low clouds, rain, dust, tornado, etc.a.)".
This year's competition involved 22 teams of students in the high school category and 6 teams of students in the high school and technical school category. The teams studied various atmospheric/meteorological phenomena observed in Cyprus.
In his address at the event, the Director of the Department of Meteorology Dr. Kleanthis Nicolaides referred to the importance of the competition for the cultivation of the students' research skills and noted the high level of the work submitted. He also stressed that over the years, through the competition, many students have discovered their inclination towards science.
The Inspector General of Secondary Education, Dr. Nicolas Yasoumi, read the greeting of the Minister of Education and Culture. In her address, the Minister stressed that such competitions are essential in the educational process, as they create the right conditions for students to enhance their creativity, enrich their knowledge and cultivate their research skills. She also stressed that the children had to work interdisciplinarily and collaborate both with each other and with their teachers, thus promoting key principles of the interdisciplinary and investigative approach.
After the event, the first group from each category presented their work.
The ceremony ended with the awarding of the winning teams.
The results of the competition can be found here.
(AF/SX)
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