One hundred and twenty-five transition year girls from across the North-East region recently visited Dundalk Institute of Technology to experience the wonders of STEM in a high-energy day of activity in conjunction with iWish.

iWish is a national community committed to showcasing the power of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths to teenage girls. In a 2024 iWish survey of over 1,700 girls about barriers to STEM, 60% said there was a lack of information about careers in STEM, 53% cited lack of self-confidence in their ability to pursue a career in STEM and 56% said there was a lack of information about STEM college courses. 45% also pointed towards the absence of role models or representation in the area. Through its collaboration with iWish, DkIT is committed to addressing these challenges and making a change in the North East Region and beyond.

The day kicked off with a welcome address from Dr. Breda Brennan, Head of the School of Engineering at DkIT, followed by inspirational talks from Sharon Lombard, Director of iWish and leading Irish science communicator and STEAM specialist Dr Niamh Shaw.

Throughout the day, the students participated in interactive workshops on a variety of STEM topics, including engineering, microbiology, programming, coding, film and media, health and physical activity and more. The event provided a unique opportunity for hands-on learning and a deeper understanding of the variety of career paths within STEM fields.

Demand for the STEM outreach activities offered by DkIT is growing year on year and it was fantastic to have students from Breifne College, Cavan; Our Lady’s, Greenhills; Inver College, Carrickmacross; St Louis, Carrickmacross and St Vincent’s, Secondary School Dundalk taking part in this year’s event.

This event was a follow-up to the DkIT Loves STEM team visits to the secondary schools in January to empower over 400 Transition Year girls to explore the dynamic world of STEM. This year, the roadshow introduced a range of innovative, exciting, hands-on STEM activities specifically designed to capture the interest of female students. Participating students also had the chance to compete for STEM roles in the fictional Totally Yours Cosmetics company, designed by DkIT’s Dr. Orla Sherlock and Maryellen Kelledy allowing participants to explore STEM careers in an engaging and relevant way.

Dr Orla Sherlock, Lecturer in the Department of Life & Health Sciences at DkIT said:

“At DkIT, we believe the future belongs to those who are inspired to innovate. Through our ‘DkIT Loves STEM’ outreach programme, we're empowering young female minds to see themselves as the engineers, scientists, and changemakers of tomorrow. As a woman in STEM, I know how powerful it is to see someone like you doing what you dream of. We want to help young girls see the possibilities in science, engineering, and innovation. It's about opening doors, sparking excitement, and building confidence.”

To round off the day, participating students were entered in to a draw for some fabulous prizes. The “DkIT Loves STEM” team would like to thank the following for their very generous spot prizes, Walls Construction who provided 3Arena Tickets, Microbiology Ireland who provided Air Pods and Engineers Ireland North East Region who provided Lego Sets.