What if the future of STEM education in Ireland wasn’t being written in laboratories or policy papers, but in community halls, rural libraries, and the hands of parents who once felt too intimidated to even try? Our Kids Code is proving exactly that.
A Simple Beginning With Big Potential
The project’s origins are disarmingly humble. A group of friends began gathering informally with their children on Sunday afternoons to tinker with Scratch, Raspberry Pis, Makey Makeys, and whatever electronics they could get their hands on. They made games, built quirky inventions. and had fun.
The fun proved infectious. When the parents offered to volunteer at their children’s school, demand was overwhelming. Waitlists grew, teachers got involved, and before long coding activities were integrated into the curriculum of a 500‑pupil primary school. For Dr. Bresnihan, a computer science educator, this was a breakthrough moment: a lived example of parental involvement influencing educational outcomes at scale.
Why Parents Matter in STEM—and Why They Need Support
Research aligns with intuition, parental involvement is one of the strongest predictors of children’s academic and personal development. But computing poses unique challenges. Unlike reading or maths, most parents never studied computer science. Many feel unprepared, even intimidated.
A national survey conducted with the National Parents Council underscored this gap:
- 95% believe children should learn computing in primary school
- 77% want to learn alongside their child
- Only 15% feel able to support them
Confidence, not experience, was the biggest barrier.
From this, Our Kids Code set out to design supports that build parental confidence, create joyful learning experiences, and make computing accessible to families, including those least likely to engage.
A Model Built on Collaboration, Creativity, and Community
Using a design‑based research approach, the team co‑created workshops and programs with families, facilitators, and community partners. The result is the Our Kids Code model:
Two Core Offerings
- Taster Workshops – a lively, hands‑on introduction that shows parents and children “yes, you can do this—and it’s fun.”
- Starter Club Program (Four Sessions) – a structured program where facilitator support gradually decreases as families take ownership, culminating in groups capable of running as self‑sustaining, family‑led clubs.
Design Principles at the Heart of the Model
- Families learn together
- Learning is collaborative between families
- Creativity is central—crafting, making, and physical artifacts matter
- Activities are challenging but achievable
- Workshops end with celebration, sharing, and pride in what was created
In short: learning is social, hands‑on, and joyful.
Scaling Beyond Dublin: Overcoming the Rural Digital Divide
Ireland’s rural communities face well‑documented barriers, limited STEM resources, fewer afterschool opportunities, patchy broadband, and smaller populations. Instead of avoiding these challenges, Our Kids Code leaned into them.
A partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) unlocked a national infrastructure:
- Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) across rural Ireland
- Support from County Broadband Officers
- Integration with local digital strategies
- Access to community centres, libraries, sports facilities, and enterprise hubs
The result: workshops delivered in more than 100 locations, over 5,000 participants, and more than 100 trained local facilitators.
Interestingly, uptake was stronger in rural areas than in cities—likely because fewer activities compete for families' attention.
Clubs That Keep Going—and Growing
Of all outcomes, the emergence of long‑running family‑led clubs has been the most powerful:
- 32% of Starter Club groups met independently after the program
- 25% met five or more times
- Some clubs are now over two years old
These clubs develop their own identities—names, traditions, even parade floats for St. Patrick’s Day. Some seek their own funding or participate in national showcases, including a partnership with Microsoft Dreamspace, where clubs present creative micro:bit solutions to real-world problems.
For many parents, this is transformative. They see their children in new ways—confident, capable, creative. As Louise noted, one parent watched their child helping others and said, “I don’t know who that child is.”
Reaching Communities That Rarely Engage
The project’s current research cycle focuses on families who are typically hardest to reach. Early work includes:
- Ukrainian refugee families in County Clare
- Refugees and asylum seekers in IPAS centres
- Socioeconomically disadvantaged families in South Dublin
- Families of blind and visually impaired children through Vision Code and NCBI
Across these diverse communities, one truth holds: parents join because they want the best for their children, and computing becomes a gateway to confidence, belonging, and connection.
What Makes This Work? Lessons Learned
Dr. Bresnihan and Louise highlighted several insights:
1. Policy Alignment Matters
Because the program supports multiple national strategies, digital inclusion, rural development, STEAM education, it unlocks funding, access, and partnership opportunities.
2. Research Builds Trust
Evidence reassures partners, improves design, and keeps participants engaged.
3. Partnerships Are Essential
Every county, community centre, library, and facilitator plays a role.
4. Co‑creation Is Crucial
Nothing is one‑size‑fits‑all; local adaptation is key.
5. Values and Training Protect the “Magic”
Despite scaling, the soul of the programme remains intact because facilitators are rigorously trained in values of joy, inclusion, creativity, and family participation.
A Model That’s More Than Coding
As the event moderator observed, Our Kids Code is not just about teaching computing. It is about people, place, and possibility.
It strengthens families.
It builds local communities.
It expands children’s horizons.
And it helps parents believe, “Maybe I can do this too.”
From a kitchen table in Dublin to community halls across Ireland, the project is reshaping what inclusive STEM education can look like, and who it can empower.