Killina Presentation Secondary School students win creative technology award
Killina Presentation Secondary School were awarded 'Robotics Project of the Year' during Kinia's Creative Technology Week.
Their project highlights how technology can be a tool not only for learning but also for building inclusive and supportive communities.
The event, which took place earlier this month, was part of Kinia's annual showcase of young digital innovators, celebrating their groundbreaking projects in creative technology, smart energy, green tech, mobile filmmaking, podcasting and robotics.
The award was presented during Creative Technology Week celebrations, which saw over 600 young innovators from across Ireland display their projects as part of two days of events in the Explorium, Sandyford.
Killina Presentation Secondary School’s robotics project empowers students with additional needs through VEX robotics. Speaking about the project, the students said “we noticed there wasn’t a lot of support with robotics for people with additional needs, so we decided to go around to the special education schools in Offaly to help them with their robots, and then organise a special competition for them, to try and get everybody included.”
Kinia, an education-focused non-profit and social enterprise, is dedicated to reducing educational inequality by building digital skills and access to technology career pathways for young people across Ireland. Throughout 2024, Kinia supported 2,725 educators through training, support sessions and events and helped to lift barriers to learning for 21,600 young people across 436 organisations.
Creative Technology Week celebrates Kinia’s mission to deliver learning opportunities that unlock skills, talent and creativity — empowering young people to confidently create and shape a more equal and sustainable future.
It’s not only about the award winners, all young people that submit projects as part of Creative Technology Week, are recognised through Kinia Credentials for the activation of new skills learned such as Collaboration, Problem solving, Critical thinking and Creativity. It gives young people the opportunity to build their personal portfolio of skills and competencies, whilst creating a CV for their future.
Speaking about the event, Marianne Checkley, CEO of Kinia, said: “We believe in the potential of every young person. As technology continues to develop rapidly, some young people and communities risk being left behind. Creative Technology Week highlights the work Kinia is doing to break down barriers and ensure that every young person has the chance to explore, create and shape their future.”