Success for Mayo student at Creative Tech Fest

FORÓIGE Mayo, Castlebar, were celebrating after one of their young members was honoured for his creativity at the 2019 ESB Creative Tech Fest, which took place in the Convention Centre Dublin.

Jamesie Maughan was presented with the award for ESB Best Steam Project for his 'Steam Caravan' work by Marguerite Sayers, executive director, ESB, and president of Engineers Ireland.

Over 500 young people, aged between 10 and 18, from 50 youth groups across Ireland, attended the bilingual event which celebrates the innovation, creativity and collaboration of young people who participate in TechSpace hubs in local organisations and schools across Ireland.

The awards, hosted by Jess Kelly of Tech Talk on Newstalk, honoured winners in the areas of Creative Computer Science, Digital Creativity and STEAM.

TechSpace is a STEAM and Digital Creativity-based educational programme that helps young people develop key 21st century skills in areas such as creativity, collaboration and critical thinking. The programme empowers them to be active creators, not passive users, of technology.

Attendees at the event participated in more than 30 workshops including AR, VR, electronics, sound engineering, mobile journalism and coding. Last year’s ESB Creative TechSpacer of the Year, Alicia O’Sullivan from Skibbereen, who recently represented Ireland at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York, was one of three inspirational young people who spoke at the event, highlighting the positive impact TechSpace has had in their lives.