2024 Chambers Ireland Sustainable Business Impact Award for ABE Ireland programme

Amgen won the category award for the best community programme by a multinational company with the Amgen Biotech Experience in the 2024 Chambers Ireland Sustainable Business Impact awards on 25 September in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Northwood Park, Santry Demesne.

The Sustainable Business Impact Awards by Chambers Ireland showcase best practice in sustainable development and social responsibility undertaken by companies of all sizes across Ireland. 

Pictured (l-r): Ian Talbot, Chief Executive, Chambers Ireland; Tara O Reilly (Amgen); Carolyn Cavey, ABE teacher, St David's Holy Faith; Alasdair Henderson, Executive Director, BAM Ireland 

The Amgen Biotech Experience (ABE) is a science education programme that was first established in the United States in 1990. It has since expanded globally, reaching nearly one million students across 16 countries.

The Amgen Biotech Experience Ireland programme at University College Dublin is delivered by Systems Biology Ireland (lead) in collaboration with the UCD Conway Institute (co-lead) and focuses on increasing access to biotechnology education. 

Since 2014, ABE Ireland has trained 215 science teachers in 175 secondary schools, benefiting 23,700 students.

Pictured (l-r): Declan Cathcart (Temple Carrig School); Eve Prendergast (Clogher Road Community College); Carolyn Cavey (St David's Holy Faith); Ananya Ramesh (UCD); Elaine Quinn (UCD); Anna Wedderburn (UCD); Claire Shaw (Amgen); Annette Condon (Amgen Foundation); Tara O Reilly (Amgen)

Since 2020, ABE Ireland has introduced targeted measures to imbed the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion within the programme. This has resulted in increased benefit to DEIS schools (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) with participation rising from 18% to 39%.

The ABE teacher training is a recognised continuing professional development course for teachers implementing the new Irish secondary school biology syllabus. The ABE Ireland team attended the event with 3 teachers from the programme and Amgen staff.