iConnect Coding Workshop at Castlepollard Community College

1. C O D I N G W O R K S H O P
C A S T L E P O L L A R D C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

2. MIDLANDS SCIENCE
Midlands Science is a not-for-profit development
company which works to create greater interest in
STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths]
education and skills among students, teachers and
members of the public in the Midlands [Laois, Offaly,
Longford and Westmeath].
It is a not for profit company and it is funded by a
mixture of public and private funding. The objective is
to grow the exposure and teaching of STEM subjects
in schools through relationships with Science
Foundation Ireland, Athlone Institute of Technology
and a number of partners, thereby contributing to the
growth of the midlands region through education.
Photo Credits: Midlands Science

3. Reaching 13,000 people
directly per annum their work
has been independently and
positively evaluated and
found to be impactful,
creative and innovative. They
make a particular effort in all
projects to engage with those
from lower socio-economic
backgrounds, as they are the
least likely to engage with
STEM outreach.
STEM OUTREACH
Photo Credit: Midlands Science

4. is the process of managing the
entire lifecycle of a product
from inception, through
engineering design and
manufacture, to service and
disposal of manufactured
products.
As part of my role as Business Development
Manager at iConnect I delivered a Coding
Workshop for the 1st & 2nd year students at
Castlepollard Community College, Co.
Westmeath.
Mergon International partnered with Midlands
Science to act as corporate sponsor for the
event.
STUDENTS
Photo: L-R Pauline Nally; Midlands Science, Lucy Payne; iConnect, Aisling Nolan; Mergon,
Mary Coyle; Principal at Castlepollard Community College

5. The objective of this workshop was to
introduce coding to students using...
Photo: 1st & 2nd year students learning how to use the Swift Playground App
with the Apple TV
The Swift Playground App.

6. S w i f t P l a y g r o u n d s i s a r e v o l u t i o n a r y a p p f o r i P a d t h a t m a k e s
l e a r n i n g S w i f t i n t e r a c t i v e a n d f u n . I t r e q u i r e s n o c o d i n g
k n o w l e d g e , s o i t ’ s p e r f e c t f o r s t u d e n t s j u s t s t a r t i n g o u t . S o l v e
p u z z l e s t o m a s t e r t h e b a s i c s u s i n g S w i f t — a p o w e r f u l
p r o g r a m m i n g l a n g u a g e c r e a t e d b y A p p l e a n d u s e d b y t h e p r o s
t o b u i l d t o d a y ’ s m o s t p o p u l a r a p p s . T h e n t a k e o n a s e r i e s o f
c h a l l e n g e s a n d s t e p u p t o m o r e a d v a n c e d p l a y g r o u n d s
d e s i g n e d b y A p p l e a n d o t h e r l e a d i n g d e v e l o p e r s .
T e x t & P h o t o C r e d i t h t t p s : / / w w w . a p p l e . c o m / i e / s w i f t / p l a y g r o u n d s /
( 1 )

7. “ M e r g o n w a s d e l i g h t e d t o p a r t n e r w i t h M i d l a n d s
S c i e n c e a s a c o r p o r a t e s p o n s o r i n o r d e r t o d e l i v e r
t h i s i n n o v a t i v e e v e n t t o a l o c a l s c h o o l . T e c h n o l o g y
h a s t h e p o w e r t o t r a n s f o r m e d u c a t i o n a n d a s a
c o m p a n y , M e r g o n i s a l w a y s l o o k i n g f o r w a y s t o h e l p
i n s p i r e l e a r n i n g a n d e n c o u r a g e n e w w a y s o f
t e a c h i n g t h e f u t u r e g e n e r a t i o n . S w i f t t h e p o w e r f u l
p r o g r a m m i n g l a n g u a g e w h i c h h a s b e e n d e s i g n e d
a n d c r e a t e d b y A p p l e , i s i n t u i t i v e a n d u s e r f r i e n d l y
i n v o l v i n g t o u c h , m o t i o n a n d s o u n d " ”
A i s l i n g N o l a n , M e r g o n G r o u p

8. “ W e w e r e d e l i g h t e d t o w e l c o m e L u c y P a y n e o f
i C o n n e c t t o o u r s c h o o l r e c e n t l y w h e r e s t u d e n t s h a d
t h e o p p o r t u n i t y t o e n j o y a r e a l l y i m m e r s i v e l e s s o n
i n i P a d t e c h n o l o g y a n d c o d i n g . T h e n e w t e c h n o l o g y
e l e m e n t o f t h e n e w c u r r i c u l u m e n a b l e s s t u d e n t s i n
t h e j u n i o r c y c l e o f p o s t - p r i m a r y e d u c a t i o n t o
d e v e l o p t h e i r t e c h n o l o g y k n o w l e d g e a n d l i f e s k i l l s
a n d t o a p p l y t h e s e i n r e a l - w o r l d s i t u a t i o n s . W e a r e
v e r y g r a t e f u l t o b o t h M e r g o n a n d M i d l a n d s S c i e n c e
f o r t h i s o p p o r t u n i t y a s w e b e l i e v e t h a t b y c r e a t i n g a
m o r e d y n a m i c l e a r n i n g e n v i r o n m e n t a n d g i v i n g
s t u d e n t s t h e t o o l s a n d m a t e r i a l s t h e y n e e d t o
s u c c e e d , t h e i r t e c h n o l o g y l e s s o n s c a n r e a l l y b e
b r o u g h t t o l i f e ”
M a r y N o l a n ,
P r i n c i p a l ,
C a s t l e p o l l a r d C o m m u n i t y C o l l e g e

9. To learn more
visit:
linkedin.com/in/lucy-payne