Dundalk school one of only five in the country to land Google funding

St Vincent’s Secondary School was one of five schools nationwide to have been selected from over 500 submissions to receive funding from Google for their Code Week Activities.

Google’s decision to directly sponsor schools for Europe Code Week is a result of the company’s ongoing efforts to encourage more students to learn about computing and to ensure that they are well-equipped with the technical skills that are increasingly required for the future.

467 primary school students from 12 different primary schools in the North Louth area visited St Vincent’s over EU Code Week to take part in their Codathon. Transition year students gave lessons in how to use Scratch, how to programme a BBC microbit, they used inventors kits to make fans and they also used iPads to code Spheros and Lego Boost around the St Vincent’s maze as well as bowling with them.

The Primary Schools included Rampark NS, Bellurgan, St Olivers NS Carlingford, Realt na Mara, St Daighs, St Malachy’s GNS, Mullabuoy NS and St Fursey’s NS.
Deputy Principal Linda McCusker explained, 'The school hosted a range of activities which aimed at bringing coding and programming to life for the younger students. It was also a wonderful opportunity for our own students as they experience 'teaching' ICT in a practical and fun way.'

By the end of Europe Code Week, almost 3,000 Irish students, teachers and parents will have benefitted from the programme, just one of many of Google’s educational initiatives run in Ireland and worldwide.

Claire Conneely, CS Education Manager, Google said; “It’s a fantastic achievement that two Louth schools were selected from 500 applications for funding for Code Week. Congratulations to the staff and pupils of both schools and we hope they had a great Code Week!”