Inspiring children in STEM for the future
Year Awarded
2021
Amount
€3,975
- Organisation:Kildare County Council
- Audience:Primary Students
- Format:Informal Education
- Location:Kildare
- Topic:STEAM
Project Summary
The project is targeted at a DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) primary school, of which there are 887 in Ireland. These schools are in communities at risk of disadvantage and social exclusion and we have identified a local school to work with. By providing a program of facilitator-led workshops covering various STEM subjects and showing positive female role models throughout, we hope to increase engagement of girls in particular in STEM subjects at second and third level education. Through a series of 6 workshops over the school year and through providing support to teachers such as booklists and resource lists, we will create a dialogue with the students about the role STEM subjects play in their lives, developing their skills whilst inspiring confidence in their abilities.
We will complement and build upon this engagement by providing a series of makerspace sessions where the students from the school will be invited to workshops within the library in an informal setting outside of the education system. They will have use of the equipment the library already has to offer such as a 3D printer, Kano computer kits and accessories, VR headsets and a selection of equipment that would be bought should funding through Science Foundation Ireland be successful. This will provide them with an opportunity to build on their learning and, through co-creation and collaboration, work on their own projects in an informal and supportive environment.