Deadline: 31-May-23
Whether it’s big, small, weird, wonderful, a work in progress, or a world-changing idea, through Coolest Projects you can share your tech project with a global community of creators like you. If you are interested then apply now.
Coolest Projects Ireland is a free in-person event for young digital tech creators resident in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It will be held on 1 July 2023 at The Helix in Dublin. Creators can join together, share and celebrate their tech projects, get exclusive swag, make friends, and have fun!
Project Categories
- The technology that your project uses will determine what category it belongs in. Find out more about each of the categories.
- Cratch
- Scratch is a free block-based visual programming tool that young people can use to easily create a variety of projects, while they also learn about the more advanced world of computer programming. It can be used online in a web browser or you can download it to your computer.
- You can see example projects in their Scratch studio!
- Please note: This category does not include projects that use Scratch to program hardware elements or electronics, such as robots. Those should be submitted in the Hardware category with an accompanying video — they want to see your projects in action!
- The following sets of project end with a final activity that would be a perfect submission to Coolest Projects:
- Beginner
- Scratch intro
- Look after yourself
- Intermediate
- More Scratch
- Advanced
- Further scratch
- Protect their planet
- Games (Non Scratch-Based)
- This category includes any kind of game made in a programming language other than Scratch. You might use a text-based programming language such as Python, or a game engine (for example, Unity, Unreal Engine, or Blender).
- If you need some inspiration and guidance, check out these game-based project tutorials:
- Unity intro
- Python intro
- Game tutorials
- Web
- Projects in this category are web-based applications on any topic you like, from informative pages to interactive applications. Sites can be built using HTML and CSS, but might also include a web programming language such as JavaScript.
- If you need some inspiration, check out these web-based project tutorials:
- HTML and CSS intro
- HTML and CSS for social enterprise
- More HTML and CSS
- Further HTML and CSS
- Mobile Apps
- This category covers projects that involve interactive apps for phones or tablets that help, inform, or entertain people.
- You can demonstrate your app on a mobile device, such as a phone or tablet, or you can use a desktop-based emulator. If you need some inspiration, check out these app-based project tutorials:
- App Inventor for social innovation
- Zombie apocalypse survival map
- Hardware
- This category includes robots, machines, and hardware hacks. You can create your project using hardware platforms such as Raspberry Pi, Arduino, micro:bit, or Adafruit boards to influence the physical world.
- If you don’t have access to physical hardware, you can use an emulator: there’s MakeCode for micro:bit and Trinket for the Raspberry Pi Sense HAT. For some inspiration, check out these hardware-based project tutorials:
- Physical computing with Scratch and the Raspberry Pi
- Intro to micro:bit
- Intro to wearable technologies
- Advanced Programming
- This category is for projects that have been taken to the next technical level. It includes projects written in advanced languages, such as C++ and advanced Python, or projects that combine multiple technologies, APIs, or types of hardware. Here are a few tutorials to get you started on an Advanced Programming project:
- Intro to Python
- Machine vision
- This category is for projects that have been taken to the next technical level. It includes projects written in advanced languages, such as C++ and advanced Python, or projects that combine multiple technologies, APIs, or types of hardware. Here are a few tutorials to get you started on an Advanced Programming project:
What is coolest projects Ireland?
- Coolest Projects Ireland is an in-person event for young digital tech creators on 1 July 2023 at the Helix in Dublin:
- It is open to young digital tech creators up to age 18, resident in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland only
- All digital making projects are welcome, whether they’re beginner, advanced, or somewhere in between, and they don’t have to be complete
- You can participate individually or in a team of up to five friends
- Projects can be registered in one of six categories
- Places are limited to one project per team
What are the project topics?
- As well as picking a category for your project, you can choose to select up to three topics that describe your project:
- My project relates to a problem in my community
- Choose the Community topic if your project is designed to increase awareness of (or solve) a problem you have noticed in their society and feel is important. This could relate to mental illness, homelessness, discrimination, or social justice, or it could address any sort of condition or lack of behaviour that has negative consequences for a group in your community.
- My project relates to the environment
- Choose the Environment topic if your project is designed to increase awareness of environmental issues or solve problems that are important to maintaining or repairing their natural environment. This could be related to earth science, climate change, nature, biodiversity, or other environmental topics.
- My project is about health, wellbeing, or medicine
- Choose the Health topic if your project is designed to raise awareness of (or solve) problems that are important to the health and wellbeing of people in their society. This could be related to COVID-19, healthy lifestyles, diet, exercise, disease, treatment, prevention, or other health and wellbeing topics.
- My project is all about having fun
- Choose the Fun topic if your project is designed to entertain people who engage with it. It could help people relax, have fun, or think about something they enjoy. This could be a game, film, story, toy, or any other entertaining and engaging digital object.
- My project is artistic or creative
- Choose the Art topic if your project is a creative piece designed to be appreciated for the beauty or emotional power of its sounds and visuals, with or without interaction from the audience. This could be a piece of music, visual art, an animation, a drawing, a collage, a film, or any other aesthetically interesting digital object.
- My project teaches people about something
- Choose the Education topic if your project is designed to help people learn something, practise skills, or to impart knowledge to the user. This could be a game, a film, a story, a quiz, an animation, or any other educational digital object.
- My project is about me, my family, or my culture
- Choose the Identity topic if your project is designed to share with the user an aspect of your life, culture, or personality that is important to you. This could be related to your beliefs, the cultural or social norms where you live, your personal or gender identity, or anything else about your life that is personal to you or someone close to you.
- My project relates to a problem in my community
Eligibility Criteria
- It is open to young digital tech creators up to age 18, from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland
- All digital making projects are welcome, whether they’re beginner, advanced, or somewhere in between
- You can participate individually or in a team of up to five friends
- Projects can be registered in one of six categories
For more information, visit Coolest Projects.