For the second consecutive year, Meath national schools and OurKidsCode clubs showcased their digital and STEAM talents at the Microsoft Dream Space DoYour:Bit Challenge held in Dublin on June 10th. Over 800 students participated in the Dream Space Showcase, presenting 110 innovative projects inspired by real-world issues that were meaningful to them.
The participating schools from Meath included Bohermeen National School, St. Joseph’s Mercy Primary School in Navan, St. Patrick's in Slane, Dunboyne Senior Primary School, and St. Fiach’s National School in Ballinacree. They addressed a range of issues such as food waste, arthritis, personal safety, fitness tracking, environmentally sustainable agriculture through seed spreading, water monitoring for safe bathing in the Boyne, personal well-being, earthquake detection, and animated storytelling.
One notable project came from OurKidsCode club, The Crazy Royal Coders, which researched road safety in Ballinacree. A fast driver and a bend in the road near the school and parish church posed hazards for road users. The club examined traffic calming measures and traffic volumes, surveyed residents, and made proposals to the Council to improve road safety. Their extensive efforts earned them the OurKidsCode Most Collaborative Project Award.
Dunboyne Senior Primary School won the “Future STEM Leaders Award” sponsored by Microsoft for its ‘Anti-Poaching Collar,’ St. Joseph’s Mercy Primary School’s ‘Food for All’ project won the ‘Meath Global Goal’ Award, and Bohermeen National School won the Digital Creativity Prize.
Additionally, the 3rd and 4th class students at St. Fiach’s National School were recognised as the most collaborative school in the Collaborative Schools Project, which is sponsored by Meath County Council. Their project involved coding noise sensors to monitor sound levels in the school. They researched the impact of high noise levels on health and the potential for stress among those exposed.
Kieran Kehoe, Chief Executive of Meath County Council, congratulated the participating schools, stating, “This is the second year that schools and clubs in Meath have taken part in the Dream Space Showcase event. It is wonderful to see such a high level of interest. Meath County Council, through its library services and Broadband Officer Cormac McCann, is working diligently to promote STEAM programs across as many schools and to as many children as possible. STEAM skills are becoming increasingly vital for both society and the economic development of our county.”
James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland site leader and corporate vice president Microsoft Global Operations Service Centre, said: “As Microsoft celebrates 40 years in Ireland, we are incredibly proud to have students from across the country visit our campus in Leopardstown to showcase the STEM and AI projects they have developed using the digital skills that they
have gained throughout their year-long Dream Space journey. With AI transforming how we learn, live and work, it’s vital that every young student, irrespective of their background, can engage confidently in STEM and AI learning. The Dream Space Showcase is a powerful reflection of what’s possible when students are given the skills and confidence to explore STEM and AI.”
In the last school year, more schools registered to take part in the Microsoft Dream Space DoYour:Bit Challenge than ever before. OurKidsCode will again run workshops in Meath Libraries during the summer.