4th March 2020
Over 400 young people expected to attend the national Tech Féile showcase and awards event
Wednesday, 4 March 2020: Shannon Airport will become the showcase on March 4th for some of the country’s top young digital media, music and 3D Design talent as well as a world record attempt when some 400 students gather for the fourth annual Camara Ireland’s Tech Féile.
Ireland’s largest Irish language tech event, Tech Féile showcases young people’s achievements in inventive Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) and Digital Media. All schools and clubs present on Wednesday have taken part in Camara Ireland’s hugely successful TechSpace programme, enhancing the STEAM and digital media experience for young people. Activities will see students exhibit their work and take part in interactive workshops as well as being inspired by guest speakers and live performances.
Celebrating the progress of the TechSpace programme we will be undertaking an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest buzz wire! A buzz wire is a steady hand game that is well known to many as a tabletop amusement. Measuring over 17 metres long and inspired by the aviation theme, the giant buzz kit features as a centre-piece at Tech Féile.
Speaking of the event, Séamus Ó Fátharta, Clár TechSpace Coordinator, Camara Education Ireland said: “Camara Ireland are delighted at the turnout today at Tech Féile in Shannon Airport. It is inspiring to see so many young people here today, showcasing their work and taking part in the workshops on offer. The TechSpace programme is growing and evolving year-on-year, and this is our largest event yet with over 400 students from Gaeltacht schools around the country present. The programme wouldn’t be possible without the support of the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, and Science Foundation Ireland. Special thanks to Shannon Airport for hosting and sponsoring the event.”
MCing the event today is TG4 presenter Micheál Ó Ciaraidh and SPIN South West presenter Louise Cantillon. Over 30 workshops are taking place today, offering students the opportunity to learn first-hand from creative industries representatives present today. Among the workshops taking place, TG4 will host a weather workshop complete with green screen, Shannon Airport will host an aviation workshop, Radió Rí-Rá will offer students a hands-on approach to podcast creation.
Speaking about the event Tech Féile, funder Bríd Breathnach from the Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht said, “”
Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) funds the Tech Feile project. Dr Ruth Freeman, Director of Science for Society, SFI said “Science Foundation Ireland is delighted to sponsor Tech Feile as part of the STEM as Gaeilge agus Cant project, the largest funded project to date under the SFI Discover Programme. Tech Feile is one of the leading Irish language events for young people in Ireland, showcasing the application of STEM through music, digital media, as well as showing practical applications such as technology used by air traffic control and the gardai. The event offers a novel mix of activities including live performances, interactive workshops, games and the opportunity for students to exhibit their own work. We look forward to an inspiring and empowering occasion for young people to engage and learn through Irish.”
Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, Pat Breen TD said: “I am delighted to be here today at Tech Feile, a festival for young people to showcase their innovation and creativity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths, through the medium of the Irish language. There is a great atmosphere here with over 400 students from Gaeltacht areas engaging in a variety of interactive workshops and exhibitions. The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation supports this engagement through Science Foundation Ireland. I am confident that today’s event will empower and inspire these students to consider careers in STEM subjects.”
Kindly hosting Tech Féile on the day, Shannon Airport provides an inspirational location, offering students a chance to see first-hand the benefits of STEAM in a professional setting and the many career opportunities in this field. Welcoming the event Rachael Leahy, Shannon Group, who is taking part in the event said: “We are rooted in our community and as such we are delighted to make the airport available for an event which celebrates the creative talents of young people in the STEAM and digital media space. We are looking forward to the fun and excitement on the day.”
Ends
Notes to editor:
About the Clár TechSpace Programme
The Clár TechSpace Programme, managed by Camara Education Ireland, provides education through a large number of consortium members by training and supporting youth workers and Gaelscoil teachers to ensure young people have access to non-formal youth-led creative spaces for technology education. Clár TechSpace is based on a world-renowned pedagogy from the Media Lab in Boston’s MIT. It is founded on the idea that we learn best when we are actively engaged in exploring, experimenting, and expressing ourselves. Currently, in over 65 locations, youth organisations and Gaelscoils are supported to empower young people to collaborate in a youth-led creative atmosphere at a local setting such as a youth cafe, a community centre or classroom. This opens them to a world of community, connection, understanding and tolerance.
About Camara
Camara Education is a non-profit international education organisation dedicated to deliver real impact through technology and to inspire and empower a young generation to improve life opportunities. Our vision is a world-class technology-enabled education accessible to all. Our mission is to transform education using technology to empower disadvantaged students. Those who engage with Camara subscribe to the following beliefs: Poverty is unacceptable in the 21st century. Education is the key to alleviating poverty. Technology has the ability to radically improve education. Since 2005, Camara has enabled over two million young people to achieve better educational outcomes and thus improve their life opportunities, through training 26,000+ teachers across 5,300 schools and educational institutes and installing 90,000+ ICT devices. A full schedule of activity can be viewed on the Creative Tech Fest website techféile.ie
About Science Foundation Ireland
About Science Foundation Ireland Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) is the national foundation for investment in research in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which assists in the development and competitiveness of industry, enterprise and employment in Ireland. It also promotes and supports STEM education and engagement to improve awareness and understanding of the value of STEM to society and to support the STEM careers pipeline. We believe that scientific knowledge and understanding benefit the whole of society and the economy – join the conversation online at #BelieveInScience @scienceirel. See www.sfi.ie for more information.
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