'Generous grant' helps Limerick school to establish new robotics club

THE Technology Department at one Limerick school was delighted to receive a “generous grant” from the Irish American Partnership which enabled it it to purchase materials and necessary resources to create a new and exciting robotics club.

With the help of the $5,000 grant from the American Partnership, Coláiste Mhichíl in Limerick city was able to purchase a new 3D printer, micro bits and robotic start up kits for the students’ use, which Principal Denis O’Connor described as “vital technologies.”

Run on a weekly basis by technology teacher Mr Salem, the robotics club at the secondary school allows students to build robots which introduces them to real world challenges like creating physical and digital solutions, collaborating in teams to problem solve, developing computational thinking skills, just to name a few.

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With careers always looming in the engineering and IT sectors, 5th year student Jamel Auzins stated: “I am really enjoying learning about coding and programming. I’ve learned new skills and it has inspired me to look into computer science or engineering as a possible future career.”

Mr Salem, who teaches at the Sexton Street school, says he's delighted to have received the grant. “We are very excited as a school community to receive this funding from Irish American Partnership, [it] allows use to introduce a new club allowing students to learn new computer programming skills develop their innovative design into 3D industrial quality prints,” he said.

The Irish American Partnership is a non-profit which connects Irish and Irish-American communities directly with education and community programs in Ireland North and South.