Maggie and Nicole take part in Lego Mission to Mars
TWO Drogheda Girl Guides took part in a Mission to Mars Lego Robotics Summer Academy in Dublin City University (DCU) this week.
Maggie Cumiskey (20) and Nicole Cumiskey (17) joined members of Irish Girl Guides from around the country at the week-long course organised by the DCU Lego Education Innovation Studio.
During the academy the girls had hands-on experience making Lego robots, which they learned to manoeuvre using programming.
They gained a range of skills in computational thinking, engineering and programming during the course, which was engaging and hands-on.
The course was designed to encourage the girls to take Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects in school and college and to consider pursuing careers in STEM.
The girls also had a Skype call with Dr Niamh Shaw, who recently took part in a simulated Mars mission in the Utah desert. Dr Shaw is lecturer at the International Space University’s annual Space Studies Programme in Cork.
Maggie Cumiskey said: ‘I really enjoyed this week. It wasn’t something I could ever see myself doing; I never considered going into STEM, but the coding was easier than I expected it would be and it was very rewarding.’