Full STEAM ahead in county
By Finnian Cox
A new programme that aims to give parents and their children the opportunity to explore and understand coding and technology together is coming to Cork.
Cork County Council are to work with OurKidsCode, a nationwide programme that brings Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) education to families in rural areas.
The partnership will see OurKidsCode activating local broadband connection points (BCPs) and community venues as educational hubs, bringing digital learning to remote areas that would have previously lacked in digital learning resources.
These digital learning opportunities aim to help with community regeneration in these areas, ensuring they stay connected, engaged, and equipped for the evolving digital world.
Working with both government and industry partners, OurKidsCode also aims to increase the diversity in students graduating with degrees in technology by fostering an interest at a younger age.
Research by the programme found that parents are the biggest influence on the subjects that their children pick, but many parents did not feel they had enough knowledge on STEAM subjects to advise.
Recent years have seen growth in female participation in STEAM, with the number of participants rising from 18% to 24%, a statistic Programme Director Lucy Caldwell believes OurKidsCode can raise.
“Through collaboration with initiatives across Ireland aimed at improving diversity in STEAM participation, we can significantly raise this percentage over the coming decade,” she said.
The programme will be hosting a fun day in Tipperary on 16 November in TUS Thurles, encouraging families from Cork to attend.
The free event will run during Science Week, and features hands on workshops in robotics, coding challenges and creative projects to inspire both children and their parents.
Caldwell said she was thrilled to invite families from Cork to the event, which she described as “a perfect opportunity to learn, create, and see first-hand the exciting world of technology that OurKidsCode brings to rural communities”.