Five Trinity teams to inspire public engagement with STEM via SFI Discover Programme awards
Posted on: 06 March 2023
The winning projects are among those to have secured funding in the latest Science Foundation Ireland Discover Programme competition, which is designed to empower and inspire deep public engagement with STEM education.
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The funding aims to improve diversity and inclusion in STEM by encouraging awardees to give special consideration to building connections with less represented voices or those who would not typically engage with STEM through the process of co-creation.
In addition, the awardees target a range of geographic locations and incorporate themes such as climate change and biodiversity.
The Trinity winners include OurKidsCode: Establishing and sustaining family creative-coding clubs across Ireland, which will develop workshops throughout communities in rural Ireland; Pytch Phase 2: Bridging Blocks to Text in the Curriculum; Technology in my Life II; We-Adapt: Expanding adaptation engagement with the climate smart platform; and Who Wants to Write an Email: Arts, AI and Self-Expression.
Commenting on the announcement, Prof Philip Nolan, Director General, Science Foundation Ireland, said:
“The SFI Discover Programme is a key part of our education and public engagement strategy. The Programme encourages collaboration to support public engagement with STEM, with a specific emphasis on broadening participation geographically and amongst less represented voices in STEM. It is essential that we support and encourage diversity and equality at all levels, providing the talent in our society an opportunity to fully participate in shaping our collective future. SFI is keen to push the boundaries of participation and engagement with STEM research. I look forward to seeing what these projects achieve over the coming months.”