Drumree to host events celebrating creative technology

To mark Kinia Creative Technology Week - two large scale flagship events will take place this Thursday 23rd March (Tech Feile) and Sat 25th March (Creative Tech Fest) in Cumann na bhFiann, Ionad Óige na hÉireann, Drumree.

Kinia is an education focussed non-profit organisation and social enterprise, ensuring that critical future focussed skills and digital learning opportunities are accessible and available for all children and young people.

Each event will showcase young people’s creative technology projects in the areas of STEAM, Digital Media and Computer Science with approximately 1000 participants travelling from all corners of Ireland to take part.

Both unique events will both be held in Drumree, in Co Meath, incorporating a full programme of exciting youth focussed and fully interactive events including the Kinia Robot Wars Competition, the Kinia Youth & Industry Showcase, Kinia Live Concert, Kinia LAB & Spaces and a live streamed Kinia Award Ceremony.

The young people, having previously received full Robot-making kits, are tasked as a group or class to create a bespoke robot, considering the strengths and weaknesses of their creation in advance of the Robot Wars element of the event. This contributes to team building skills, effective planning and preparedness as well as developing STEM and digital skills.

Also on the agenda is a Kinia Youth & Industry Showcase, where young people will be given the chance to showcase their various projects, and in turn industry partners to Kinia such as TG4, RTE, Medronic, ESB and others will be invited to showcase business and future employment opportunities on the day.

There will be a live concert with no less than 10 talented musicians or youth bands given the opportunity to take centre stage, with performances also being broadcast across Spotify and Youtube platforms.

A youth advisory group made up of 10 young people, having been selected, brought together and trained in podcasting, will act as youth facilitators at the two live events, with the aim of establishing a much valued Kinia Youth Voice among young people at both Tech Feile and Creative Tech Fest events.

The event also sees the launch of the brand new Kinia NanoCreds – unique and ‘stackable’ credentials for children and young people that aim to reward, incentivise and help build confidence as they strengthen their 21st century digital skills in creative technology. The recipients will be the first in Ireland to receive a Kinia NanoCred, which is a European Digital Credential for Learning.

Marianne Checkley, CEO of Kinia commented “We’re delighted to launch Creative Technology Week, the first nationally recognised celebration of Creative Technology here in Ireland. This year’s Creative Tech Fest and Tech Feile will provide an opportunity for young people to broaden their skills and aspirations and be recognised for their creativity in Digital Media, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. The events are a celebration of potential and open new possibilities for young people to develop skills, explore new creative technology and STEM, and spark interest in future career paths. This year we launched a new STEM for Sustainability programme that supports our goal to make sure that no young person is left behind in an increasingly complex and digital future.”

Further information on the event can be found on www.kinia.ie