Become a CEIA Volunteer

Support your organisation’s CSR program And Become a CEIA Volunteer!

As a volunteer you will be ‘giving something back’ and in the process making Engineering/Technology exciting & interesting for the next generation?

We need SUPPORT for of our 2018 STEM++ Programme

Your organisation is a member of the CEIA, which was founded in 1984. It is a not for profit association made up of FDI & Indigenous High Tech industry and one of its aim is to support & grow technical employment opportunities in Cork. The association has two main working subgroups:
The Innovation Group (a business focused group) and
The Skills & Education Group.

The Aim of the Skills & Education Group is to work with local schools and academia in the promotion of STEM (FOCUS IS ON MATHS AND PHYSICS) to open Engineering career paths to children and young adults from 10 to 18 years. This activity is funded by Member Companies & Science Foundation Ireland (SFI). The subgroup works closely with local academic institutes such as UCC, CIT, Tyndall National Institute and member companies including programmes such as Cork Science Festival.

Promotion of STEM is achieved through engaging 2nd level students in technology based workshops & competitions. They include Maths Tutorials, Teacher Training Workshops, Transition Year Student Activity Weeks, App Development Workshops & Competition, Engineers visit to schools (Smart Future Program) Local Science Fairs, Technology Conference (IWish Program), & Career Exhibitions participation.

2018 introduces a new program Mentor-A-Parent Program the aim of which is to train students to Mentor their Parents in the use of technology.

The success of the group’s activities, which are co- ordinated by Dr. Eamon Connolly, is underpinned by Volunteers with a background in STEM, from across the City and County – could that be you?

Activity and Support Needed

CEIA – Engineers Ireland Maths Tutorials for Leaving Cert Higher Level
Mentors required to support – See leaflet for further details – approximately 2 x 2.5 hours delivery plus prep

SYSTEM TY APP Development Programme
Sept – Nov – Mentors required to support – Commitment is 2 – 3, 1 hour visits to the mentor assigned school

Mentor a Parent
– Volunteers required to deliver initial training inputs to students – presentation skills, technical input on Internet security and social media supports on delivering to parents
2 x 2 hour sessions – all training materials provided

TY Work Placement Programme in Conjunction with Tyndall Institute, CIT, UCC
Feb, Mar – Member companies to take students for 1 day during the week long programme

HAL – Science communication event around artificial intelligence and both the opportunities and challenges in their lifetime
New 2018 Programme Launching in April for 5th, 6th class students. We need assistance to promote in your community

Cork Science Festival/ Mallow Science Fair
Weekend Event – Volunteers required for 2 hour stints in October / November

SMART Futures
Ambassador training programme, facilitated by SFI – 1/2 day. School visit/ Site visit – 1/2 day

Manning of students at Cork Science Festivals, iWish Careers week event, Mallow Science Festival, Tech week
1 off events – Feb, Sept, April, Nov – Volunteers from member companies for 1 or 2 hour stints

Maths Tutorials For Higher Level Maths

The CEIA has run the Maths Program for the past two years, spun off from the Engineers Ireland (Steps) own program in Dublin (it is now discontinued in Dublin, replaced with videos: http://www.steps.ie/maths/maths-video/videos.aspx)

The Cork program runs from Oct to Mar weekly on a Saturday starting at 10am and runs for 2.5 hrs.

The lectures take place in UCC, Civil Engineering Building. It is open to 5th and 6th year students and is advertised on the web, school flyers and Careers Exhibitions. It is well established and typical class sizes are 50 students. Our tutors are volunteer engineers from industry, at various stages for their careers (form recent graduates to business owners) all wanting to ‘give something back’ to help develop our next generation of engineers.

The program is based upon, providing students with the fundamental ‘tools’ of mathematics and to show maths theory application in business, as opposed to working strictly to a Project Maths syllabus. Past exam questions are referenced to demonstrate the technique of using these “tools”.

The areas of mathematics are divided among the tutors, e.g. Sequence & Series, Complex Numbers, Integration etc.

Each tutor gets one or two of these modules to teach, equating to a commitment of two Saturday’s of teaching each.

The book used a reference guide when teaching is Aidan Roantree’s, Leaving Certificate Mathematics Vol I & II with exam questions used as examples.

Before the program starts volunteer tutors meet together to discuss and agree modules and share teaching techniques etc.

It would be a great to be able to add 3 or 4 new tutors, to lighten the load on the existing team; all tutors will have to be Garda vetted and will at all times have a second adult in the lecture hall when teaching. (organised by the CEIA).

Dr. Eamon Connolly (CEIA) is the co-ordinator of the program which is one of the outreach activities the CEIA promote on an annual basis.

Contact Eamon to volunteer by email: connollye@ceia.ie