Work beyond compulsory education is not conceptually appreciated in Slovakia. Nevertheless, many teachers, educators, and even non-pedagogical volunteers perceive their work as their life mission. This award attempts to change this. “We have the opportunity to showcase the work of people who, with commitment and without adequate compensation, spend their time, energy, and often money on our children. Thanks to these people, many children are representing our country abroad. Heads of clubs, seminars and Olympiads give children the knowledge and skills which can be utilized in school, but also in graduation exams, entrance exams, and throughout their entire professional lives. Many of them will find employment in top positions, not only here but also abroad,” says Martin Plesch, the expert guarantor of the Dionýz Ilkovič Award and a researcher at the Institute of Physics of the SAS and MU Brno.
Award criteria and procedure
Anyone can nominate a person for the development of extracurricular activities through the form available at www.cenadi.sk.
The Dionýz Ilkovič Award is given by an expert jury, headed by the expert guarantor Doc. RNDr. Martin Plesch, PhD., who is also the President of the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT). Eligible for nomination are individuals – pedagogues and non-pedagogical volunteers who actively participate in the development of extracurricular activities for pupils of elementary and secondary schools in the subjects of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and information technology. The jury will evaluate the nominated persons on the basis of four criteria: the duration and sustainability of the extracurricular activity, the results of the extracurricular activity, the scope of the extracurricular activity, and innovative approach.
The award schedule for 2017
| Announcement of the award | June 5 |
| Deadline for submitting nominations | August 31 |
| Evaluation of nominations by the jury | September – October |
| Announcement of the winner of the award | November 8 |
Who is behind the award?
The company PosAm has long held the belief that business activity in the IT sector should have a broader social dimension. The company is already devoted to supporting selected student initiatives (Trojsten, robotic team Robogen from Zvolen). Another project related to secondary school students was the Nemaj na saláme (Don’t be indifferent) project, which was focused on the improvement of student decision-making in regard to school selection. Supporting talents and persons in the field of the natural sciences is part of PosAm’s mission.
Who was Dionýz Ilkovič?
This teaching legend and passionate scientist, physicist and physical chemist, was born in 1907. Professor Ilkovič had the talent to speak about complex science in a manner that was understandable for young students. Instead of memorizing or reading to students, he visually demonstrated the laws of physics. He founded and led the Institute of Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava. In 1934 he deduced, as a member of the team of the Nobel Prize holder Jaroslav Hyerovský, the relation between the polarographic diffusion current, the concentration of the solution, and the characteristics of a dropping mercury electrode. This scientific discovery is still known today as the Ilkovič Equation. More information about the life and legacy of Professor Dionýz Ilkovič can be found at www.cenadi.sk.
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