Archive for month: May, 2025

For the past year, Midlands Science has been promoting engagement with STEM [science, technology, engineering and maths] with groups of young people whilst also building their capacity to be creative and accurate content creators online. Supported by the TikTok Digital Future Fund which was created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with TikTok, workshops entitled “My Life Online” allow young people to learn about a variety of topics in science, technology, engineering and maths. They also get hands on experience in creating online content using professional equipment and working with filming and communications specialists. The programme was developed by Midlands Science and training is delivered by Dr Dan Nickström and  Slawek Bracki of Apple Tart Productions.

Jackie Gorman, CEO of Midlands Science commented ; “ we are all increasingly living and learning online and it’s really important we take ownership of our choices and become active consumers and creators in this process. This project has allowed us to encourage new audiences to engage with science and also show their engagement through channels such as TikTok. It’s all about communication and building more engagement and encouraging creativity and with the popularly of TikTok’s dedicated STEM feed, this is an obvious channel for us to engage with as we build communication and STEM awareness with young people.”

The first of the 2025 workshops took place last week in Our Lady’s Bower, Athlone where 30 young people signed up to explore everything from scriptwriting to film editing. In their hands on science experiences, they got to try everything from making copper wire and magnets work together to create movement to wearing laser glasses to simulate how bees see flowers and different colours. The combination of STEM and digital media skills is also complimented by awareness of safety and wellness online and becoming discerning consumers of information, encouraging young people to ask for evidence. As Carl Sagan said, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.”

Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland commented ; “”at Rethink Ireland, we are dedicated to unlocking the potential of young people, regardless of their background. Together with our partner TikTok, we are thrilled to support Midlands Science’s ‘My Life Online’ workshops through the TikTok Digital Future Fund. By combining STEM education with hands-on digital media experience, Midlands Science is not only building a community that values science but also ensuring that the next generation is equipped to thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

Further workshops will take place in Athlone and Tullamore in July and August of this year and more details will be available on www.midlandsscience.ie