Over 600 students from primary schools in County Longford are set to demonstrate their innovative STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) skills at Longford’s Microsoft Dream Space Showcase, which takes place in St. Mary’s Community Campus, Edgeworthstown, on Tuesday, 24 March.
This year’s Dream Space event will also welcome some of the most prestigious and respected names in the industry, including Microsoft, Ericsson, MTU Cork, EY, KPMG, Storm Technologies and Global Logic. Their presence underscores the high regard and esteem in which this pioneering event is held.
The YouTube star Farmer Phil has also been unveiled as one of the special guests on the day, and he will visit a number of agricultural-related projects on the day with children from primary schools all over the county, looking forward to meeting the social media influencer.
Farmer Phil, whose real name is Philip Stewart, is a prominent figure in the farming community. He is known for his engaging YouTube content. He operates a family farm in Ballinamore, County Longford, where he shares his farming life, including cattle management and machinery demonstrations.
His YouTube channel features a mix of farming techniques, product offerings, and personal stories. This makes it a popular platform for people interested in agriculture and rural life. Farmer Phil has gained significant popularity, with over 97,000 subscribers and a growing presence on social media, including TikTok and Instagram.
Longford’s Microsoft Dream Space Showcase is the culmination of months of engagement with primary schools in County Longford, which included the delivery of hands-on STEAM sessions by the Microsoft Dream Space teaching team as part of a 10-week Dream Space programme. The programme provided students with the opportunity to enhance their STEM and AI skills through the development of innovative STEM projects addressing sustainability challenges.
Over the past 10 weeks, students have been working with their teachers, Longford County Council’s STEM Engagement Officer, Siobhan Grealy, and Microsoft’s teaching team to develop the STEAM and coding skills they need for their projects. These newly acquired skills are then put into action by developing an innovative project addressing various challenges related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
The students will celebrate their learnings and present their projects at the Microsoft Dream Space Showcase event in Edgeworthstown on Tuesday, 24 March. Now in its fourth year, this initiative started as a way to foster a love of STEAM subjects in primary school children. Ultimately, it is hoped that this will lead to all County Longford secondary schools offering computer science as a Leaving Certificate subject.
The event will feature a wide range of activities for young people on the day, with support from Longford County Council services such as Sports Partnership, Climate Action, Arts Office, Road Safety, Fire Services and more. There will also be exhibits from industry partners, including Microsoft, Ericsson, EY, MTU Cork, KPMG, Storm Technologies and Global Logic and with lots of exciting live tech demonstrations, including drones, Vex Robotics and VR headsets. Local organisations Comhairle na nÓg and Music Generation Longford will also take part in the event.
This collaboration with Microsoft, empowering local schools to participate in Microsoft Dream Space Showcase, builds on a series of targeted interventions in the area of STEAM education spearheaded by Longford County Council. Funding received by Longford County Council from the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021-2027 has been invested into local schools with a focus on accelerating interest and engagement in Computer Science and STEAM-related subjects as students transition from primary to post-primary level.
The ongoing support of primary school teachers throughout County Longford has been vital to the success of the programme while thanks was also extended to secondary school teachers who will act as adjudicators on the day.
Creative Ireland is also funding the building blocks of creativity for this project.
Chief Executive of Longford County Council, Paddy Mahon, said: “Now in its fourth year, Longford’s Microsoft Dream Space Showcase is truly established as a pioneering showcase event which is continuing to foster and develop STEAM skills among primary school children in the county. The council is proud to drive this project forward and work with such excellent technology companies.”
Longford County Council Cathaoirleach Cllr Garry Murtagh said: “Great credit is due to Microsoft, along with all the teachers, exhibitors, volunteers, council employees and the elected members for supporting this initiative. I look forward to seeing all the exciting projects from students all over the county at Longford’s Microsoft Dream Space Showcase on 24 March.”
For further information, visit Longfordcoco.ie or follow Longford County Council on social media.
