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Usually regarded as the metrological start to Spring, March is a month of reflection as we look back on the two years gone by and look forward to brighter days ahead. The Spring equinox will occur on Sunday, 20 March, signalling the midpoint between midwinter and midsummer. Readers in the Republic of Ireland will also benefit from an extra-long, long weekend.
This month saw our return to a hybrid model of engagement as part of the South East Engineering Festival in collaboration with the Institute of Technology Carlow, and Waterford Institute of Technology who are joining together to form South East Technical University in May.
We always like to hear from our community, so please email us at calmast@wit.ie with any suggestions, comments or queries.
Thank you for your continued support.
- Kayleigh Foran, Calmast, STEM Engagement Centre
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Continued STEM Engagement Partnerships with Local Industries.
Calmast is delivering STEM engagement throughout the South East with the support of WIT, national and local government and local industry. Partnerships with industry is so important to this success and we have an ongoing collaboration with Abbott, MSD, WEST, and Bausch + Lomb. We are pleased to announce that another flagship company in the region, Sanofi has just committed to a three-year partnership.
If you would like more information on industry partnerships, please email calmast@wit.ie |
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Calmast Hub and Cluster Model
Everything Calmast does is in partnership. We work with local authorities, state agencies, industries and businesses, NGOs, communities groups and schools. There are lots of great people and groups promoting STEM in the region and there are more that would like to with support. We can achieve more impact by working together and Calmast at WIT offers coordination, training and support to all.
Ní neart go cur le chéile.
In partnership with Industry, Local Authorities, Community Groups, and Schools, with funding from Science Foundation Ireland, Calmast is developing the most comprehensive STEM eco-system in Ireland across the South East through our Hub and Cluster Model. The first tranche of clusters have been developed in Waterford, New Ross, Dungarvan, Clonmel, Kilkenny and Wexford. These clusters will enhance the provision of STEM engagement across the region.
For more information about the clusters, please email calmast@wit.ie |
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Calling all Ballybeg residents! ACT Waterford is working with 5 creatives and 5 communities exploring 5 climate themes across Waterford City and County. One of the communities selected is Ballybeg. Our first meeting is this Tuesday 15 March @ 6pm in Ballybeg Community Hall. More info: ACT Waterford
The groundwork for ACT Waterford is well underway. Waterford City and County Council have teamed up with Calmast STEM Engagement Centre, Waterford Institute of Technology to promote climate action in a project supported by Creative Ireland under the Creative Climate Action fund. 5 Local communities will each focus on a climate action theme. They will work with creative professionals to explore how individuals and communities can take meaningful action in response to climate change. Communities include Kilmacthomas (Rural Environment/Water), Ballybricken Cultural Quarter (Greening the City), Ballybeg (Energy), Dunmore Rd (Travel) and Waterford’s 18-35 Y.O. Online Community (Consumption and Waste). For more information, visit ACT Waterford.
If you are a community member in any of these areas and would like to know more, please contact Calmast@wit.ie or Nollaig.Healy@wit.ie
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The South East Engineering Festival with IT Carlow and Waterford IT
Coordinated by Calmast STEM Engagement Centre, the aim of South East Engineers Week was to introduce students to the world of engineering and develop their creative and problem-solving skills. Students will learn about the opportunities in the region for engineers and the opportunities to study engineering. The festival took place 4 – 11 March and was delivered through a hybrid model of engagement with over 5,585 participants taking part across the region.
Events included Hands-on Engineering Kits, Engineering as a Career all-female panel as part of International Women Day (8 March), Engineering as a Career mixed panel, Rosie Revere Library Workshops, 'I am an Engineer Drawing Competition held in Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford, Wexford, and Tipperary libraries, Engineering Week Quiz, K'nex Workshop, Lockbox Challenge, Sustainable Engineering Challenge and a Bridge Design Challenge as well as on-demand resources.
If you would like to re-watch our events for primary and second-level students, visit our website.
On-Demand: https://engfest.ie/on-demand/
Careers in Engineering: https://engfest.ie/careers-in-engineering/
The South East Engineers Festival is a joint initiative between the Institute of Technology, Carlow and Waterford Institute of Technology who are joining together to form South East Technical University in May.
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Pictured: 6th year student from St. Paul's Secondary School, Waterford with Private Seamus McNamara, Corps of Engineers Defence Forces of Ireland.
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Pictured: Sustainable Engineering Challenge winning team from St. Leo's College Carlow, with Waterford Institute of Technology lecturers Colm Tynan and David Williams. |
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Pictured: Pupils from Presentation Primary School, Tipperary taking part in Rosie Revere Copter Workshop in Clonmel Libray
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Pictured: Pupils from Gorey Educate Together N.S. with the LED Robot Electrical Engineering Kit
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Wexford Creative Communities
The Wexford Creative Communities project is funded by Wexford County Council, Creative Ireland and Science Foundation Ireland. It focuses on sustainability and marine pollution through the mediums of art, creativity, and hands-on scientific discovery, over five weeks.
The project is coordinated by Calmast in partnership with the Irish Girl Guides, Seashell Guiding District. Last weekend an art and education session took place in Seal Rescue Ireland with guides creating a series of mono-prints based on drawings of the rescued seals.
The project is funded and supported by Wexford County Council and Science Foundation Ireland in partnership with Creative Ireland as part of the Creative Communities Programme.
Pictured: Members of the Seashell Guiding District creating mono-prints at the Seal Rescue Ireland Centre as part of Wexford Creative Communities, funded by Creative Ireland, Wexford County Council and Science Foundation Ireland.
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STEMreach Programmewith Peer Teaching
STEMreach is a hghly successful STEM initiative developed by Calmast connecting higher education, industry, governmental and non-governmental bodies with primary and post-primary schools. The Centre has developed a range of 6- week STEMreach modules covering creative problem solving, sustainability, engineering, chemistry, physics, healthcare and more. Creativity, teamwork, communication and sustainability are key aspects of STEMreach.
Pictured: Students taking part in the Paired Science Programme
STEMreach aims to develop key skills, including critical thinking, creativity, innovation and communication, through topics that secondary pupils are interested in, like sustainability.
if you are interested in running a STEMreach TY programme in your school please email calmast@wit.ie.
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STEMreach Sustained Engagement Programme with Bausch & Lomb
Students in Waterpark College, Waterford kicked off the STEMReach Sustained Engagement Programme in partnership with Bausch & Lomb this month. Throughout the project, students will explore the range of activities undertaken by different departments on-site in Bausch + Lomb. They will work together in teams to create an activity based on their chosen department in a peer learning session for primary school pupils.
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Innovation Day with Sanofi
Working in partnership with Sanofi, Waterford, Calmast will host a creative innovation day as part of their wider Transition Year Programme. Students from across the region will come together to learn about the innovation process, design thinking and entrepreneurship through the lens of climate action and behavioural change.
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Events in Partnership with Calmast
Engineering Your Future in collaboration with Environmental Protection Agency: 24 March
STEMreach Sustainability; Our Future, Your Story in partnership with Wexford Education Centre: 29 March & 5 April
Transition Year STEM Entrepreneur Camp in partnership with RIKON, ArcLabs and Growth Hub funded by Higher Education Authority: April/May 2022
Bealtaine Living Earth Festival: 14 - 22 May
Pictured: Participants of Newtown Bat Walk, Bealtaine Living Earth Festival
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Pint of Science 2022: Speaker Call Now Open
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Pint of Science 2022 is inviting people working in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) to your favourite local pubs and cafes to share their research with the pubic. The team are currently searching for talented, engaging speakers across Ireland to help bring this year’s festival to life, taking place in person from 9 – 11 May.
Some examples of the wide range of topics we invite researchers to speak on are below...
Our Society - law, history, politics, policy, and languages
Beautiful Mind - neuroscience, psychology, and psychiatry
Atoms to Galaxies - physics, chemistry, maths, and astronomy
Our Body - medicine, human biology, and health
Planet Earth - geosciences, plant sciences, and zoology
Tech Me Out - biotechnology, robotics, and computing
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The Mary Mulvihill Award 2022
The theme of this year’s Mary Mulvihill award is ‘Water’. The science communication and media competition is open to all third-level students in Ireland, with a top prize of €2,000.
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Have something you want to share?
Have your event or story included here!
If you would like to be included in our upcoming events or STEM Stories from the Region, please contact us at Calmast@wit.ie
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Have you heard of the Puzzling Maths Podcast? Long-time friends of Calmast and Maths Week, Rob Eastaway and Andrew Jeffery have teamed up to set puzzles and talk about the quirky ways in which maths crops up in their everyday lives. They are currently #2 in the Apple charts for maths podcasts in Ireland.
Here’s their latest episode: https://puzzlingmaths1.podbean.com
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Robert Boyle Summer School
Robert Boyle's 395 th birthday took place on 25 January. This summer marks the 10 th annual Robert Boyle Summer School which will take place in person from 23 – 26 June, focusing on the theme “Science and Colonialism.” Stay tuned to http://www.robertboyle.ie and Robert Boyle social media for more information and to register your interest in the upcoming festival. |
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Maths Week Ireland was founded by Calmast at WIT in 2006 and quickly grew to be the biggest festival of its kind in the world. It has been replicated in Maths Week Scotland and Maths Week England and has inspired many other maths events across the world. Maths Week is a partnership of over 50 groups (including all of Higher Education) on the island. Maths Week participation pre-Covid was over 400,000. In 2021 over 386,000 students participated remotely.
Maths Week Ireland 2022 will take place from 15-23 October.
Visit www.mathsweek.ie for maths resources & more information on upcoming events.
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This regional development is enabled by the support of many groups and with generous funding from:
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Follow us on social media for updates:
Facebook: @CalmastSTEMhub
Twitter: @CalmastWIT
Instagram: @calmastwit
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