The senior pupils of Ballinahinch NS with Shane McGrath, Principal, community representatives and officials at the computer coding exercise at the Community Centre, Ballinahinch.
Pupils in Ballinahinch take part in programme
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The senior pupils of Ballinahinch NS with Shane McGrath, Principal, community representatives and officials at the computer coding exercise at the Community Centre, Ballinahinch.
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Cllr John ‘Rocky’ McGrath, Michael Barrett, John Finnegan, Shane McGrath, Michael Carey and Sarah Dinan.
More than 100 primary school pupils experienced a ‘hands-on’ introduction to the future in the digital era during a day-long programme in the area.
The digital hub at the Community Centre, Ballinahinch was one of the group of first locations in the country where the young people received elementary instruction in coding as part of the nationwide roll out.
Computer coding is the process necessary to build programs for computer operations, including the creation of websites and apps.
Titled ‘Ireland’s inaugural Digital First Day’ the pupils from senior classes at primary schools in the area were the recipients of the tutorial exercise to develop their interest in the process of computer coding.
Senior tutor, Michael Carey, explained that the exercise ties in with the promotion of greater interest in the study of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects which are at the heart of a very wide variety of jobs and professions.
He explained that studying these subjects in college will give the young people the skills they need to take part in building the world of our future in which computers have become a more central part.
The ‘Our future – Our way’ theme is supported by Vodafone and was being focused on the initial training experience being provided at the local digital hubs nationwide being delivered by a national team effort brought together by the connected hubs network and underpinned by collaboration, volunteering and a team effort on a large scale. The objective of the day of events was to show local communities the benefits of digital growth to support these groups while enabling their locality to attract investment, remote workers, home buyers, shoppers and visitors to their local community.
The focus at the Ballinahinch centre was on the senior classes at the primary schools in the area to demonstrate the use, technique and benefits to be derived from expertise in computer coding. “This national moment of focus around the benefits of digital will demonstrate in practical ways the key themes of ‘Digital First’ Day, namely to illustrate the importance of collaboration and volunteering in sharing expertise and to highlight the opportunities of hub led growth in reimagining rural Ireland,” it was explained.
The community centres at Ballinahinch and Killoscully are among those to benefit from the ‘Connected Communities’ initiative to provide high speed broadband in areas with poor broadband coverage. The majority of the sites have been provided with a temporary wireless broadband connection by NBI under the National Broadband Plan. Vodafone Ireland provide the onsite super-fast WiFi service. The locations of the BCPs have been selected by local authorities in consultation with local communities and site owners, supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.