Limerick college calls on industry partners to shape the future of STEAM education

ENTERPRISE and industry leaders are being invited by Mary Immaculate College (MIC) to collaborate with its pioneering CRAFT initiative, which aims to inspire, innovate, and invest in the next generation of creators, designers, engineers, and thinkers.

As Limerick’s latest Research Ireland Discover Centre, located in Newman Hall on MIC’s John Henry Newman Campus, CRAFT (Creative Arts, Future Technologies) is a dynamic hub for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education alongside the creative arts. 

Through curiosity-driven workshops and hands-on design challenges, children, teachers, and families explore real-world problems while developing creativity, innovation, collaboration, critical thinking, and communication skills. 

Whether working on climate action, sustainability, social justice or engineering challenges, participants learn by doing, and by building solutions that are meaningful and relevant to everyday life.

Since 2022, CRAFT has engaged directly with 40,660 children, teachers, and families across the region. The initiative is consistently growing, with workshops, events and CRAFT camps in high demand—providing a much-needed, welcoming, inclusive space in the Mid-West Region.

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Now, CRAFT is inviting industry collaborators to join the likes of Regeneron, Dell Technologies, Microsoft, Jaguar Land Rover, Becton Dickenson, and other innovative leaders in the design and co-creation of workshops, events, and exhibitions in a world-class, innovative STEAM outreach centre in Limerick. 

Such partnerships help shape meaningful, relevant and cutting-edge STEAM experiences that inspire the next generation of creative thinkers and problem solvers.

Speaking about the unique role CRAFT plays in bridging education and industry, Dr Maeve Liston, Director of Enterprise & Community Engagement and Associate Professor in Science Education at MIC said: “Industry-Education partnerships between CRAFT at MIC and STEAM industries are key to delivering educational outreach experiences that reinforce what is being taught in the curriculum, while also extending learning beyond the classroom into real world contexts and the world of work. At CRAFT, we provide the essential bridge between classroom learning and real-world innovation. We don’t just teach children about STEM—we empower participants to see themselves as scientists, engineers, inventors and makers. By working in partnership with industry, we can ensure that what we offer is both educationally robust and aligned with the future skills and career paths that today’s children may pursue.

“We have been fortunate to work with key industry players that share our vision for CRAFT in advancing the future development and provision of STEAM education and engagement experiences for children and families with varying interests and life experiences.”

Highlighting the importance of engaging young minds in technology and creativity, Sean O’Reilly, EMEA Vice President of Logistics and Limerick Site Leader at Dell Technologies said: “STEM learning is central to inspiring the next generation of developers and engineers whose skills will help shape our future as an innovation island. That is why our team in Limerick once again came together with Mary Immaculate College to host primary schools across the Mid-West for the Dell VEX Robotics regional competition. It is a fun way for us to engage young people in technology and foster their creativity”.

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As a Discover Centre recognised by Research Ireland, CRAFT is one of only 44 such centres nationwide, placing it alongside prestigious institutions such as the Blackrock Castle Observatory in Cork, the Rediscovery Centre in Dublin, and W5 in Belfast.

Recently, a CRAFT workshop was streamed into nearly 400 primary schools as part of the Curious Minds Awards programme. Curious Minds is a national STEM education programme run by Research Ireland that supports primary schools through providing inquiry-based, hands-on resources and teachers' continuing professional development (CPD) training. CRAFT wants to build on its success and reach more people by bringing real-life STEM examples and the latest technology from industry into its workshops and activities.

Dr Eleanor Walsh, STEM Outreach Project Officer at MIC, explained: “CRAFT workshops use hands-on, everyday challenges to spark creativity and STEM learning. As participants imagine, design, create, and problem-solve, they naturally become makers, scientists, and engineers. We see growing confidence, curiosity, and STEM skills in every session.

Families and schools from across the Midwest return regularly, seeing CRAFT as a key support for STEM education. Nationally, we collaborate with leading programmes to broaden our impact. Our goal is simple: to make STEM approachable, fun, and empowering—and it’s inspiring to see that transformation happen every day.”

Your organisation can play a leading role in shaping the future of STEAM education through a variety of means. 

This includes inspiring the next generation of innovators; showcasing your technologies and expertise; supporting outreach in DEIS schools, Direct Provision centres, libraries and community venues. 

It also includes contributing to bringing creativity and engineering into classrooms; supporting teacher upskilling through Continual Professional Development (CPD) aligned with the new STE curriculum; and by helping young learners see real-world possibilities in science and technology.