LOETB S.T.E.A.M. Showcase Returns for 2026
Portlaoise College will be the venue for this year’s LOETB S.T.E.A.M. Showcase, which sees students from across Laois and Offaly ETB schools come together to show off the amazing material they’ve been working on as part of the LOETB S.T.E.A.M. Programme, a partnership with Laois and Offaly County Councils, and Microsoft DreamSpace.
On the day, guests will see robot battles, coding challenges, immersive VR tours, Minecraft build challenges and the best of the midlands’ junior podcasters; brought together for a high energy showcase of the tech talents and creative nous of local teens.
As part of the showcase event on March 26th, an Oscars-style ceremony will also see the finalists work shown on the big screen, with the winning teams appearing on the main stage to claim a share of the €10,000 prize fund – and glory for their school! This includes the opportunity to win the overall LOETB S.T.E.A.M. Programme School of the Year, which comes with a €2000 prize, sponsored by local tech company N.I.S.
The STEAM Programme and its accompanying showcase – now in its third year – has gone from strength to strength, with both Laois and Offaly County Council playing a key role in supporting the programme. At its core the programme is about providing training and equipment to young people – through lunch-time and after school clubs – to help develop the kind of 21st century skills that can help transform the Midlands.
The programme is helping to develop a new generation of coders, engineers and creatives, with the ability to meaningfully drive one of the core principles of Just Transition – replacing the lost jobs of the peat industry with next generation employment for young people. With tech and creativity at their core, these jobs have the potential to transform communities right around Laois and Offaly.
For the schools involved, the STEAM Programme has also become a central part of their wellbeing and inclusion offerings, with preparation for the different competitions offering an ideal opportunity for students from all kinds of different backgrounds to mingle and bond over a shared challenge.
Building their cutting-edge competition robot, designing their local ‘third space’ in Minecraft, or shaping their stories in the podcast studio, students now have the opportunities to represent their school in all kinds of new ways – often bringing recognition to young people who may not have always found themselves basking in the school spotlight.
The S.T.E.A.M. Showcase will kick off at 11am, ably hosted again by Portlaoise College and their excellent team. The morning period will see each school wowing guests at their individual stands with a showcase of the work they’ve developed for the programme, before live robotics competitions take over. This will be followed by a move to the big stage and screen where MC Seanie Morris will ease the suspense by helping to announce which of the entries that make the short list on the big screen will walk away with the different category prizes.
The day will finish with massive excitement, as the winner of the LOETB S.T.E.A.M. Programme School of the Year is announced, with the trophy and €2000 prize due to be presented by Gerry Buckley, founder of NIS IT solutions, sponsors of the overall prize.
