Young tech creators are set to showcase their skills as Coolest Projects returns to Dublin

Coolest Projects Ireland is a free in-person event for young digital tech creators. Held on 1 July 2023 at The Helix in Dublin, it will celebrate young people up to age 18 and the amazing things they’ve made with code.

Welcoming projects of all kinds, from big to small, beginner to advanced, and work in progress to completed creation, the showcase allows a community of like-minded individuals to celebrate a shared passion for all things computer science and provides a fun way of encouraging participation in STEM activities.

Coolest Projects events are held worldwide. However, the pandemic called for a pause on in-person events and a move to a global online showcase with more than 2,500 young people taking part last year from over 45 countries.

Organisers of the event, the Raspberry Pi Foundation, have been waiting to bring back the in-person element of Coolest Projects, and with roots in Ireland, the first event will be held in Dublin.

Helen Gardner, Programme Manager at the Raspberry Pi Foundation, hopes to inspire new and old entrants alike to get involved.

“We are so excited to be able to bring the community together once again. Young people will be able to come together and make friends, alongside the opportunity for learning, growth, and a lot of fun.”

Paul McCarten has been running a CoderDojo coding club in Tramore, Ireland for nine years, with his club members (referred to as Ninjas) having taken part in both the online and in-person versions of Coolest Projects.

“We attended the Coolest Projects events held in Dublin in 2018 and 2019, and our Ninjas had a fabulous time. There is great fun and excitement to be had in participating, from preparing to then presenting your work to the judges and other interested young creators. Learning to work in teams and to communicate and present ideas clearly are important life skills that they learn along the way. We’re so delighted to see the return of an in-person event for Ireland and Northern Ireland for 2023.”

Coolest Projects Ireland is open to creators under 18 who reside in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, with the deadline to submit entries by 31 May. Projects can be entered into six categories, covering Scratch, games, web, mobile apps, hardware, and advanced programming. All digital-making projects are welcome, whether they’re beginner, advanced, or somewhere in between. Submissions can be on an individual or team basis, making the

event a great forum to showcase school projects. As well as coming away with a swag bag of goodies, every attendee receives personalised feedback from industry judges to help with their development. Places are limited to 100 projects.

More information on Coolest Projects Ireland can be found here:

https://online.coolestprojects.org/cp-ireland