STInt Programme hosts graduation ceremony for 2023 participants
The STInt team welcomed the 2023 STEM teacher interns to the Solas room in DCU, Glasnevin campus, to celebrate their successful internships over the summer. Each intern was presented with a certificate, accredited with a DCU digital badge, by DCU president Professor Daire Keogh. This is the programme’s eighth year in operation, and this year provided 67 internships, across 42 host companies, to pre-service and in-service teachers around the country. The interns were students or alumni from all seven universities in Ireland offering teacher education programmes, with host companies in industries including technology, financial services, medtech, pharmaceuticals, astronomy, and bioeconomy. Since beginning in 2016, STInt has now provided 252 internships in the STEM industry for teachers.
At the ceremony, Dr. Eilish McLoughlin, School of Physical Sciences spoke about the importance of this initiative and its effect on teacher training. There is still a lack of physics teachers in Ireland, which impacts the choice being provided to young people in post-primary schools. Prof Deirdre Butler, School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies, focused on the key learnings the interns made while on their placements, and pointed out all the new language, terms and industry knowledge the interns now have as a result of taking part in STInt.
Prof. Daire Keogh, DCU President, commended the interns for stepping out of their comfort zone and taking this unique opportunity when offered to them. He told the interns they were brave to use their summer in such a meaningful way and that the experience will no doubt have a positive influence on their teaching careers. Isobel Harris, Vodafone, spoke from a STInt host perspective and described how the internships are a ‘win-win’ for both the company and the intern.
Two 2023 STInt interns also spoke at the event. Eric Fenton from University of Limerick completed his 12 weeks in Janssen, Ringaskiddy, Co. Cork. Eric had a fantastic summer on rotation in the Janssen plant, meaning he got to see how multiple different teams and departments function. Patricia Dunne, a primary school teacher from DCU spent her internship with Irish Water in Dublin. Patricia spoke about all the new information she had gotten from being in the company and working alongside the teams. She is excited to bring her new knowledge to her classroom and hopes to be able to bring the topic to life, given her first hand experience.
It is an exciting time for the STInt Programme who has just been shortlisted in the THE Awards 2023 for the UK and Ireland, in the Knowledge Exchange/Transfer Initiative category. The team are now looking forward to 2024, which aims to be their biggest year yet. The programme is currently supported by Skillnet Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and Intel Ireland. STInt also has strategic partnership with 30% Club Ireland and Connecting Women in Technology (CWiT).