A New TU Dublin Workshop is Transforming Science Education and Empowering the Next Generation
Traditional models of science education often miss the opportunity to reflect the full range of talent and creativity in our classrooms, particularly among students from underrepresented backgrounds. However, a new initiative led by Dr. Somayeh Mohammady at TU Dublin, and supported by Taighde Éireann | Research Ireland, is proves what’s possible when we reimagine education from the ground up.
“In many traditional classrooms, science is taught in a way that can feel distant from creativity and personal identity,” said Dr Mohammady of the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at TU Dublin. “Through this workshop, we’re showing children, especially girls and those from underrepresented backgrounds, that science is not only accessible, but also something they can relate to, enjoy, and truly see themselves in.”
TU Dublin's STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) workshop welcomed primary school children into a world where circuits spark imagination, art meets electronics, and every child is treated as a future innovator. Every family who attended the workshop gave it positive feedback, a rare and powerful endorsement that speaks volumes about the kind of science education children are hungry for.
The workshop also addressed gender bias through the live testing of an Erasmus student’s app designed to challenge career stereotypes, and redefined who “belongs” in STEAM through a multicultural team of 18 instructors who served as visible, relatable role models. From pink tools to culturally resonant projects like an “Eid Mubarak” light display, every element was carefully designed to be welcoming, empowering, and inclusive. TU Dublin’s approach shows what science education in Ireland should look like: creative, equitable, and grounded in the real world.
“Children lit up, literally and figuratively, when given the chance to engage with science in a way that was hands-on, creative, and welcoming,” said Mohammady. “That kind of excitement doesn’t come from textbooks or rote learning. It comes from feeling seen, included, and empowered.”
If science education in Ireland is to truly serve all children, it must move beyond outdated, one-size-fits-all teaching and embrace models that reflect the diversity, creativity, and complexity of the world in which students live. TU Dublin’s STEAM workshop, created in partnership with CONNECT Research Ireland’s Centre for Future Networks, offers a compelling blueprint for that future.