Dell Technologies Limerick recently hosted over 400 students from 15 primary schools across the Mid-West region for the eighth annual MIC Dell VEX Robotics programme.
In partnership with Mary Immaculate College (MIC), the VEX IQ regional final provides a platform for primary school children to showcase their skills in designing, building, and coding robots. During the final, robots from the different schools competed in robot skills and teamwork challenges, working collaboratively to score points.
Five schools from the Mid-West took home awards from the final with Kilcornan National School scooping an impressive three awards including the Excellence Award, the Robot Skills Champion and were joint winners in Teamwork Champion Award with Gaelscoil an Ráithín. Kilruane National School were presented with the Design Award whilst Scoil Mhuire Pallaskenry scooped the Judges Award and Thomond Primary finished the day with the Innovate Award.
From September to December, staff from Dell and MIC support and mentor pupils and teachers in the classroom and organise practice sessions (scrimmages) with their robots. MIC also delivers a robotics summer course for teachers, developing the teachers’ understanding, skills and confidence in embedding robotics into the primary curriculum.
With the support of their teachers, pupils manage the entire project from start to finish, acquiring invaluable technical skills in robotics, engineering, design, programming, and coding.
They practice and become familiar with many technical skills like robotics, engineering, design, programming and coding. The teams also organise promotional and fundraising campaigns for robot parts, thus building skills and knowledge in areas such as teamwork, marketing and financial planning, ensuring that every child in the class has a role in the project. Classes could also opt to compete in an online Science, Technology, Engineering and Technology (STEM) Research Challenge under this year’s theme: The Ethics of Robotics.
Dr Maeve Liston, Director of Enterprise & Community Engagement and Associate Professor in Science Education at MIC, stated that: “This robotics programme is invaluable to the children of the mid-west Region. It nurtures and develops the children’s inner scientist, engineer and designer. They question, experiment, trouble shoot, problem solve, and most importantly collaborate and play while engaging with STEM learning. The MIC DELL VEX Robotics competition prepares students to become future innovators, and from what I have witnessed here today, this programme really and truly fosters some of Ireland’s brightest minds.”
She added that “it is important to mention the commitment, time and effort of the class teachers and entire school community driving this programme on a daily basis in schools”.
Joseph Correia, Senior Solution Architect at Dell Technologies, said: “Today at Dell Technologies Limerick, we had the pleasure of hosting the VEX Robotics VEX IQ Primary School event, and what an incredible experience it was for over 400 students. The energy in the room was electric for students from 15 teams from all over the region gathered to showcase their robotics skills, as well as being able to showcase their knowledge with the judges on the day. It was amazing to see the passion and dedication of these young minds as they worked tirelessly to design, build, and program their robots while showcasing their progress in the engineering notebook. We're proud to be a part of this initiative and to provide a platform for young people to develop their skills and pursue their passions.”
The qualifying teams from the regional competition will advance to the national VEX IQ finals on 27 February in Cork, with world finals taking place in Dallas in May 2025
The Dell Technologies VEX Robotics Competition is a long-standing collaboration between Dell and MIC, recognised with The Teaching Council’s Collaboration Award in 2019 and recently shortlisted at the end of 2024 for the Limerick Regional Business Awards in the Best Contribution to the Community (CSR) category.
MIC guides teachers with the integration of the VEX programme into the curriculum and offers Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses in conjunction with staff from Dell, including a week-long summer course in July.
To find out more about the Dell VEX Robotics Competition or to register for next year’s programme visit www.stemcraft.mic.ul.ie
To get more information about VEX IQ and VEX VRC the secondary school VEX programme visit: https://www.roboticseducationireland.com
To find out more about activities in the CRAFT Maker Space visit www.stemcraft.mic.ul.ie
