Athenry student's app aids children with autism
A talented Galway student was among a group of teenagers from across the country to take a prestigious national award for their new app, designed to help children with autism.
Ciara-Beth Ni Ghríofa, 17, from Coláiste an Eachréidh in Athenry was part of a team with members from Cork, Kilkenny, Offaly and Dublin to claim the winning spot at the 2017 BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp with their project entitled Mi Contact.
The winners were selected by a judging panel of accomplished business professionals following an intensive four day workshop at NovaUCD.
The winning project is an app, based on applied behavior analysis to enhance early intervention programs, and to encourage children with autism make eye contact.
Ciara-Beth and her team impressed the judges with their well-planned and thought out business pitch for Mi Contact, which they presented at NovaUCD on Friday.
The project idea was originally created by Ciara-Beth as her entry to the 2017 BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in January this year.
The group was selected for their significant progress over the four-day workshop, which is designed to equip students with practical skills and knowledge to transform a creative idea into a viable business proposition.
The students, selected because they displayed particular business ambition, are shown how to set up a company, write a business plan, create a marketing campaign, draft a budget and present their ideas competently to senior academics and business people.
Professor Orla Feely, UCD Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Impact said the college was delighted to deliver the annual BT Young Scientist Business Bootcamp at NovaUCD.
“I would like to congratulate the overall Bootcamp winners, and all the students who participated on this year’s programme, and I hope in the near future to see their ideas transformed into businesses impacting Ireland’s economy and society,” she added.
The Bootcamp is the brainchild of BT, one of world’s leading communications and IT providers, and the organiser and sponsor of the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.
Throughout the week the groups were coached by a dedicated BT business mentor and learned the fundamentals of critical business applications such as patenting, business development, sales, marketing and presentation skills.