For the third year running, RTÉ is supporting the CoderDojo Coolest Projects Awards, which will see ten thousand people descend on the RDS on Saturday, 18th June for an event that never ceases to engage and inspire.
Featuring gadgets, robots, blogs, games, apps and websites, designed by 800 young coders aged from 7-17 from across Ireland and Europe, CoderDojo Coolest Projects is set to be the largest technology and innovation event to take place in Ireland this year.
Here, then, are just some of the reasons why we love the Coolest Projects Awards:
1. It's a big Irish success story, taking on the world
The CoderDojo movement started in Ireland by James Whelton and Bill Liaohas since grown into a global phenomenon of free, volunteer-led, community based programming clubs for young people. At present there are 1,000 CoderDojo's in 63 countries with Irish woman Mary Moloney as the Global CEO. The Coolest Projects Awards was created to encourage, support and showcase the creativity within the CoderDojo community globally. Of the 800 entrants, over 100 Coolest Projects entrants are travelling from across Europe to the RDS event, which has inspired similar awards schemes in Belgium, Romania and Silicon Valley.
2. It inspires and supports the next generation of tech entrepreneurs
Coolest Projects provides the bridge from learning coding skills at local CoderDojos to innovating and creating future employment. The awards will see young people deliver projects across the latest technologies from Cloud to the Internet of Things and Virtual Reality and is providing children with an invaluable set of digital skills. In the grand scheme of things, this is important for Ireland’s economic future.
3. A five year old has created an app. Seriously.
Among the many brilliant innovations on show, Coolest Projects Awards will feature an app created by a five year old to encourage children to eat their veggies! How cool is that!
4. You will be wowed by the creative minds of 800 young coders
From a remote dog feeding app to a mobile phone that doesn’t require a network and everything in between, you are sure to wowed by a spectacle of amazing creations from Ireland’s young innovators.
5. Did we mention the 50 international speakers and a chance to meet Ireland’s top 100 startups?
This year’s event also sees the addition of Launch’d – an event over four stages featuring 50 top international speakers as well as 100 of Ireland’s top tech start-up companies, which is aimed at inspiring and supporting the next generation of technology entrepreneurs.
6. This event is entirely run by volunteers from across the CoderDojo movement in Ireland
Guys you are awesome.
7. It's a free public event
Hurry there are still some tickets remaining. Get them here.
If you are coming along, make sure to drop down to RTÉ’s Swipe TV stand and upload photos from the event to the Swipe TV app to win cool prizes.
For more on The Coolest Projects Awards and the CoderDojo movement, here's Giustina Mizzoni, Head of Development at CoderDojo Foundation, being interviewed on The Innovation Show, an RTÉ podcast show. Listen here on iOS or on android.
