Young Longford innovators shine at robotics competition

Excellence Award Winners: St Mel's College. Christine Collins, Broadband Officer with Longford County Council, Helena Heaney, Longford County Council IT, Kelley Keogh, STEM Engagement Officer, Westmeath County Council, Siobhán Grealy, STEM Engagement Officer with Longford County Council, Paula Feeney of St Mel's College, students from St Mel's College and teacher Fergal Counihan | Shelley Corcoran

placeholder image — Excellence Award Winners: St Mel's College. Christine Collins, Broadband Officer with Longford County Council, Helena Heaney, Longford County Council IT, Kelley Keogh, STEM Engagement Officer, Westmeath County Council, Siobhán Grealy, STEM Engagement Officer with Longford County Council, Paula Feeney of St Mel's College, students from St Mel's College and teacher Fergal Counihan | Shelley Corcoran

Longford students competed in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition at the Temperance Hall in Longford Town.

Students from four post-primary schools across Longford put their STEM skills to the test as they competed in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition at the Temperance Hall in Longford Town.

The event involved teams from Lanesboro Community College, Meán Scoil Mhuire, St Mel's College and Templemichael College taking part in a series of robotic challenges, designing, building and programming.

Judges’ Award: Templemichael College. Christine Collins, Broadband Officer with Longford County Council, Helena Heaney, Longford County Council IT, students from Templemichael College, Siobhán Grealy, STEM Engagement Officer with Longford County Council, Kelley Keogh, STEM Engagement Officer, Westmeath County Council and teacher Justin Quinn. | Shelley Corcoran

Delivered by Longford County Council's IT Department, the VEX IQ programme aims to involve students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) through hands-on learning experiences that encourage innovation, communication and critical thinking.

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Throughout the competition, students worked together to tackle a range of robot challenges and in doing so, showcased an impressive range of technical abilities all while learning as they competed.

Design Award: Lanesboro Community College. Helena Heaney, Longford County Council IT, Christine Collins, Broadband Officer with Longford County Council, Kelley Keogh, STEM Engagement Officer, Westmeath County Council, students from Lanesboro Community College, teacher Emmett Dolan and Siobhán Grealy, STEM Engagement Officer with Longford County Council. | Shelley Corcoran

The VEX IQ programme has now been rolled out to all nine post-primary schools in County Longford.

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The winning teams on the day were:

Design Award: Lanesboro Community College
Judges' Award: Templemichael College
Teamwork Champions: Meán Scoil Mhuire and St Mel's College
Excellence Award: St Mel's College
Skills Award: Meán Scoil Mhuire

Skills Award: Meán Scoil Mhuire. Helena Heaney, Longford County Council IT, Christine Collins, Broadband Officer with Longford County Council, students from Meán Scoil Mhuire, Siobhán Grealy, STEM Engagement Officer with Longford County Council and Kelley Keogh, STEM Engagement Officer, Westmeath County Council. | Shelley Corcoran

Cathaoirleach of Longford County Council, Cllr Gerry Hagan, praised the students' enthusiasm and participation.

He said, "It is very encouraging to see such strong participation from schools across the county. Initiatives like VEX IQ give young people the chance to try new skills, work together and build confidence in a supportive environment."

Deputy Chief Executive of Longford County Council, John Brannigan, said the programme equips students with valuable skills for the future.

"This programme shows what can be achieved when practical learning is supported in schools. Students are gaining real experience in coding, design and teamwork that will stand to them in further education and employment."

VEX IQ is co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme 2021–2027, with the aim of supporting STEM education and developing digital skills among young people.

Funded by the local democracy reporting scheme