Autumn 2025 Courses

Autumn course descriptions

No prior knowledge is needed. Please check which weeks courses are running.

Fundamentals of Computer Programming 

This introductory course offers a fun and accessible way for students to begin their journey in computer programming. We start with Scratch, a visual, block-based programming tool that simplifies core programming concepts, making it ideal for beginners. In these first sessions, students will develop a foundational understanding of programming basics by building interactive games and animations. 

We then transition to Python, a versatile text-based language, which empowers students to create small projects and further explore programming. The course covers essential topics such as:

• Introduction to Programming
  • What is programming and why is it beneficial for young people? 
• Getting Started with Scratch (emphasizing programming fundamentals over character animations)
  • How to create and structure a new project
  • Using blocks to build simple programs
  • Implementing loops, conditions, sounds, and graphics in interactive games 
• Introduction to Python
  • Why Python? Exploring its strengths as a beginner-friendly language
  • Navigating error messages and debugging
  • Understanding variables, data types, operators, and expressions
  • Working with input and output functions
  • Applying conditional statements and loops
• Final Project
  • Students put their skills to the test with a hands-on project. 

Each topic includes tailored exercises, with additional tasks provided based on each student's pace and understanding.  

Basic Electronics: Understanding electrical circuits 

This hands-on course introduces students to the fundamentals of electronics and the principles of electrical circuits. Through engaging, practical activities, students will explore essential components and learn how simple electric circuits function. The course also includes beginner-friendly programming using mBlock and Arduino, leading into the basics of robotics. 

Introduction to Electronics and Electrical Circuits

• Importance and real-world applications of electronics
• Basics of electricity: voltage, current, resistance
• Understanding circuit types: series vs. parallel
• Key components: LEDs, batteries, resistors, switches, transistors, and more

Introduction to mBlock and Arduino

• Overview of mBlock: visual programming for beginners
• Introduction to Arduino and its integration with mBlock
• Setting up the environment and writing basic programs

Interactive Projects Using mBlock and Arduino

• LED Control: Blinking, dimming, and sequencing LEDs
• Traffic Light Simulation: Timed control of multiple LEDs
• Switch-controlled LEDs
• Photoresistor-triggered actions (including building an optocoupler switch)
• Temperature sensing (room and body) with visual feedback

Introduction to Robotics

• mBot Assembly: Hands-on robot building
• Basic mBot Controls: Movement, turning, and obstacle interaction
• Advanced Activities: Obstacle avoidance, Line following, etc

Further Exploration and Learning Resources:

• Guidance for independent project development
• Project ideas to inspire creativity and problem-solving

By the end of the course, students will:

• Understand core concepts in electronics and circuits
• Gain hands-on experience with mBlock and Arduino
• Develop simple but functional electronic and robotic projects
• Be equipped with resources to pursue further learning in electronics and robotics

Engineering the future: An introduction to civil structural engineering  

There is civil engineering all around us. From the house we live in, to the roads we drive on, everything is built by civil engineers. But how do you make such huge structures from skyscrapers to long bridges to massive airports?  

This course will introduce the students to the basic principles which govern the basis of all structures. The course will include hands-on activities each week where the students can see these principles at work including an introduction to engineering drawing and understanding shapes and stability by building towers and truss bridges. 

By the end of this course, the students will have knowledge about: 

• Different types of building materials 
• Shapes and structures 
• Forces on structures  
• Why structures fail – examining relevant case studies 

The circular economy in construction, which is of utmost importance in today's market with global warming and climate change being at the forefront of engineering decisions worldwide!

A world that we cannot see - The secret life of microbes 

This course teaches you all about microorganisms, the good, bad and evil! Learn all about their secret world through fun and interactive experiments. Some activities include: 

• Ever wondered about microorganisms in our food?
• Uncover how good microbes can be used to make food products.
• Carry out your own fermentation experiment at home to learn about the process of bread making.
• Let's put hand hygiene to the test! You will carry out an experiment using agar to see how many microbes are killed when we clean our hands.
• Discover the dangerous side of microorganisms and how they can cause disease. You will be shown magnified images of different microbes and learn all about the illnesses they can cause.
• Find out how we can fight harmful microorganisms. Discover the world of vaccines and antibiotics, but also how microorganisms can fight back. Can you help the scientist figure out which antibiotics will save the patient?
• Finally, you will get to be the doctor for a day! Learn about how infection is diagnosed and how to check vital signs when microbes make us sick! 

The Secret Life of Physics: A rollercoaster ride through Life, Energy, and Cosmic Wonders! 

From our toes to the sky: Physics is everywhere! 

Calling all young scientists: 

Ever wondered why things fall when you drop them? Or how our planet stays floating in space? 

From the smallest atom to the depths of the ever-expanding universe, there is so much to explore. 

Welcome to The Secret Life of Physics, where we’re going to explore the wild science that makes our world, and the whole universe, go round! 

• Explore the secrets of matter, density, and forces! 
• Dive into electricity and electromagnetism! 
• Blast off into astronomy! 
• Study waves (not all of them are in the sea!) 
• Uncover the mystery of radiation! 

This course will open your mind to the possibilities an understanding of physics can give you. Who knows where it will take you! 

Impariamo coi cartoni! Learning Italian by captioning and re-voicing cartoons  

This course is focused on the needs and interests of children who want to learn the Italian language for the first time. Children learn more effectively when they are having fun and enjoying the learning process. Learning a foreign language can be an enjoyable activity, and this course aims to create a comfortable and friendly environment where children can maximise their learning experience. During this course, children will have fun learning how to give voice to cartoon characters through captioning and re-voicing, inventing stories and rearranging plots, sparking their imagination and expressing their creativity. They will meet popular Italian cartoon characters and will learn how to create an audiovisual product, using innovative online platforms. Additionally, they will develop creative thinking and problem-solving skills while improving their pronunciation, and their communicative and intercultural competence in the Italian language.   

Familiarising yourself or ‘getting an ear for’ a modern foreign language at primary schools helps smooth the path for learning a new language at secondary school, as well as benefiting literacy in general. 

Bone Voyage: Discovering the Secrets of Your Skeleton

Want to learn about the most complex organ of the body? Of course you do- it's a no-brainer!  

Come on this journey while we explore many key aspects of neuroscience:   

• The brain is boss. Why is the brain so important and what structures make it up?   
• No man is an island. How does the nervous system help the brain carry out its functions?  
• Communication is key. How do neurons help the brain to communicate its messages
• Our brain has superpowers. What are some of the amazing things our brain can do?
• It’s all an illusion. How does perception play a role in how we see things?  
• Time to catch some brainwaves. How can we use EEG to see and interpret brain activity?  

Extras: virtual reality, microscopy, brain jokes & puns, quizzes, brain teaser activities, riddles and neuroscience art!

Ich verstehe nur Bahnhof: A brief introduction to the German language 

While the German language may be rather notorious for its complex grammar and propensity towards seemingly endlessly long words – Mark Twain once famously claimed that one would need an eternity just to learn German -, getting started with the language is actually much easier than it seems! 

In six weeks, this course aims to familiarise students with the German language and to get them comfortable with basic communication in a foreign language. To achieve this, this course is intended to make beginners interact with the language organically (through games, crafts activities, and group work) and to introduce them to various aspects of German culture. 

By the end of this course, students will have learned how to 

• introduce themselves and talk about their family 
• count to 20 and solve basic equations 
• talk about food, hobbies, and daily routines 
• read and write simple German texts 
• use some common German idioms 

Familiarising yourself or ‘getting an ear for’ a modern foreign language at primary schools helps smooth the path for learning a new language at secondary school, as well as benefiting literacy in general.  

Foundations of Marine & Coastal Engineering: Oceans Unleashed!

Dive into the dynamic world of Marine & Coastal Engineering! This course empowers young learners to explore how engineers tackle real-world challenges, from safeguarding coastlines to building resilient structures in ocean environments.  

Topics covered include: 

• Overview of what marine and coastal engineers do and why Ireland needs them! 
• Understanding waves, currents and tides and why they matter in engineering 
• Coastal protection structures 
• Engineering for rising sea levels 
• Underwater engineering and marine ecosystems 
• Observation techniques including remote sensing, buoys and satellite data  

Perfect for budding engineers, each session combines theory with interactive experiments. Through hands-on activities, students will engage with wave mechanics, construct model coastlines and design protective structures. 

 Join us and 'seas the day'! 

Bio-Builders: Can we fix it? Yes, we can! - An Introduction to Biomedical Engineering

Calling all young innovators and problem solvers! Are you curious about how science, engineering, and imagination come together to solve real challenges in healthcare and medicine? In this 6-week journey into the world of biomedical engineering, we’ll explore how living systems inspire groundbreaking technologies — and how engineers create tools that help people live healthier, better lives.

From exploring how our bodies move and communicate, to designing devices that support or even replace our body functions, you’ll dive into hands-on activities that combine biology, mechanics, and creativity. Whether we're tinkering with model organs, designing assistive devices, or experimenting with bio-inspired materials, you'll begin to see the human body as a fascinating blueprint for innovation.

Get ready to think like a biomedical engineer — and discover how you can help build a better, healthier future! Topics Include:

• Think Like an Engineer: Solving Problems with Purpose
• What Is Biomedical Engineering?
• Bio-Inspired Design: Learning from Living Systems
• Tools That Heal: Prosthetics, Implants, and Devices
• Signals and Sensors: Communicating with the Body
• Bioengineering the Future: What Will You Create?

Be the part! Creative Expression through Drama and Performance

Full details to follow