Five Offaly secondary schools to benefit from new LOETB project
Five post-primary schools in Offaly are to benefit from a new lunchtime and after-school programme to the tune of €10,000 each, as part of a new STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts and Maths) Programme being facilitated by LOETB and Offaly and Laois County Councils.
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The Cathaoirleachs of Laois and Offaly County Councils Cllr Paschal McEvoy and Cllr Eddie Fitzpatrick were on hand to help launch the LOETB STEAM Programme. Paul MooreImage 2 of 5
Representatives from ASCN Clara at the launch of the LOETB STEAM. Programme. Paul MooreImage 3 of 5
Staff from Oaklands College, Edenderry at the LOETB STEAM launch. Paul MooreImage 4 of 5
The event was launched by LOETB Chief Executive, Joe Cunningham.Image 5 of 5
LOETB Digital technology Schools Coordinator, Terence O’Brien, and Offaly County councillor John Carroll get to grips with a robotic challenge at the launch of the LOETB STEAM Programme.The five schools involved – ASCN Clara, Banagher College, CNC Kilcormac, Oaklands CC and Tullamore College; and their Laois counterparts will be provided with equipment and training to help further develop key digital skills among their students.
Guests at the launch event in Tullamore were told that the programme prioritises four key areas for students to focus on - robotics and coding through Vex IQ and First LEGO League competitions, design through Minecraft Education and digital storytelling through Podcasting.
Each of the areas will culminate in an LOETB competition final at the end of the school year, where all nine LOETB schools will compete to show who has best utilised the opportunities of the programme.
Launching the programme at the LOETB Information Hub in Tullamore, LOETB Chief Executive, Joe Cunningham, spoke of the great possibilities the programme offered, particularly the opportunities it gave young people to really develop their passions.
He also praised the partnership between LOETB and both councils, highlighting the potential of such partnerships to really make a difference in the region.
Once the programme was launched, guests got the opportunity to engage with the different strands of the programme.
They competed in robotics arenas, built houses in Minecraft Education and were interviewed in the ‘Bog Pod’ Podcast Studio – by the Podcasting team from Banagher College.