Council hails two local schools' involvement in VEX Robotics world finals

Offaly County Council has hailed students of Coláiste Choilm and Sacred Heart School Tullamore for taking part in the VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas, last week.

Cathaoirleach of Offaly County Council Cllr Audrey Hennessey Kennedy extende congratulations to the students who represented their schools, county, and country on a global stage.

Offaly County Council commenced its VEX Robotics programme in 2018 and since then has successfully engaged all schools. The programme is more than building robots, it is about building futures and making sure the young people in Offaly have the skills required for whatever jobs that will exist in the future. 65% of the children in our primary schools today will work in jobs that do not exist yet, the council pointed out

Chief Executive of Offaly County Council Anna Marie Delaney said: “I would like to congratulate Coláiste Choilm and Sacred Heart School on their amazing achievements at the world championship.

"Both have represented Offaly on a global stage, and congratulations to all the students and teachers involved. Offaly County Council is innovating and transforming through a range of business, community, and educational initiatives and the VEX Robotics Competition is just one of these initiatives. This programme demonstrates the interest amongst our young people in Offaly to engage with STEM, with over 3000 students involved in the programme during this school year.“

Ray Bell, Broadband/Digital Officer and STEM innovator, commented: “We are immensely proud of both teams who represented us so well on a global stage. The rollout of this programme would not be possible without the ongoing support from all our schools in Offaly, particularly the teachers who put a lot of time and effort into getting teams ready for competitions. We are proud to support this initiative and provide a platform for young people to develop their skills and pursue their passions.”

This programme is delivered in collaboration with Munster Technological University, Local Enterprise Office Offaly, Offaly County Council Library Service, and Engineering, Community, and Information Technology Departments. Other partners include primary and post-primary schools in Offaly, Department of Rural and Community Development, Department of Education and Skills, National and EU Just Transition Fund, Offaly Local Development Company, Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board, as well as Athlone and Laois Education Centres.

Dean Hodge, Offaly County Council’s STEM Engagement Officer who collaborates with schools on the VEX programme added "Both the Sacred Heart School and Coláiste Choilm teams have been involved in the programme since its inception in Offaly and have a story of resilience and dedication to the programme. We have seen the results of this demanding work on a global stage over the last two weeks. Coláiste Choilm is well known for its sporting endeavours, and through their hard work and innovation, they have now taken robotics from the classroom to the global stage.

"Sacred Heart School already has a strong tradition in science, technology, engineering, art and maths, and their win at the world stage is a testament to their determination and proves that robotics in education is for everyone," he said.