Kildare students join first ever Intel Engineering Bootcamp at DCU

Students from St. Wolstan’s Community School in Celbridge, Co. Kildare take part in first ever Intel Engineering Bootcamp

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  • April 26, 2023

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​Intel Ireland recently invited 27 Transition Year (4th year) secondary school students from St. Wolstan’s Community School in Celbridge, Co. Kildare to the first ever Intel Engineering Bootcamp. The Bootcamp, which was held over 4 days at Dublin City University (DCU), gave students the opportunity to explore the world of STEM - an in particular engineering - through a variety of practical activities and experiences.

The focus of the Bootcamp is to share a focused insight into engineering, broadening the awareness of students taking part and highlighting the pathways to engineering that exist post-secondary school.

The content of the Bootcamp related to science, engineering, computing, careers and also included sessions on development of skills that can apply to all disciplines.

The Bootcamp was formally opened in DCU by Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Professor Jennifer Bruton, and the Associate Professor and Head of School in the School of Electronic Engineering in DCU, Dr. Noel Murphy. The Bootcamp was hosted by Phil Smyth, physicist, engineer and broadcaster.

The 27 students took part in interactive hands-on workshops led by current undergraduate mechatronics students, a number of talks, and a tour of the DCU campus. Speakers included past DCU students, current Intel employees and researchers. 

Saoirse Costello a current Intel Women in Technology scholar spoke to the students about her experience after being chosen as a scholar. Saoirse touched on how this opportunity gave her the chance to gain real world experience outside of her degree at Intel. She also spoke about the advantages of having Intel mentors, who guide and support her to ensure that she excels during her studies. 

Students also heard from Intel Design Automation Manager Sarah Frawley and Andy Royle, a Facilities Manager at Intel. 

The Boot Camp was filled with innovative and imaginative projects, put together to challenge, engage, and grasp the student’s imagination of what’s possible through STEM.

Speaking about the Boot Camp Ms. Aedeen O'Brien, Teacher of Physics, Maths, and Science at St. Wolstan's said, "Intel kindly invited 27 Transition Year students from St. Wolstan's to attend an Engineering Boot Camp in DCU over 4 days. Some activities included hands-on experimenting with electronics and microbits, a very "competitive" egg drop challenge, great ideas from the wonderful Phil Smyth and fantastic talks from experts in their fields ranging from Space Engineering, semiconductor technology, Sound Engineering, Self-Driving Cars, Virtual Reality, and lots more. St Wolstan's students found the experience really enjoyable, and it gave them valuable insights into different areas of Engineering. This Bootcamp will encourage more students to take up Science subjects and to go into the field of Engineering."

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