Red Hat sponsors STEM projects

On behalf of the entire school community, we wish to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the team at Red Hat in Waterford for their incredibly generous donation towards the purchase of digital media equipment to advance a number of arts and culture projects linked to the school’s Digital Learning plans. The projects in question will include a heavy focus on subjects that fall under the banner of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Mathematics), which is variation on the popular set of STEM subjects, but with the addition of Arts.

The arts plays a central role in the school and each class is given the chance to produce and stage a play every year with the 6th class students taking part in local, regional and national drama competitions all through the Irish language. The arts give the students a chance to express themselves, engage with the process of creating something as a team and see the fruits of their labour on stage.

The new equipment will now allow the students to record the shows for the school community (and for posterity) and also create short films that will involve production, sound and film recording as well as the editing process, all using state-of-the art technology kindly provided by Red Hat. The equipment will also help the school deliver more general events virtually (e.g. Christmas concerts) during COVID-19.

Given the unique nature of our school, which teaches all subjects openly, through the medium of the Irish language (a.k.a. Immersion Education) and which is supported by a community that believes passionately in this ethos, we are delighted to also share an appreciation of the power of such open communities with Red Hat.

We’re also very much looking forward to completing our first short film that is being recorded using the new equipment purchased, which we hope to submit for consideration at the Irish Language School Theatre Festival later in 2021.