Dominican pupils shine at YENI Digital Master-Class

{module_photogallery,36870} Thursday 3rd October gave our Year 10 pupils the chance to develop their digital and entrepreneurial skills for the C21st and to help guide and direct them towards careers in Digital technology. Causeway Coast and Glens Council launched this Year’s Young Enterprise Digital masterclass in Dominican College based on the very positive impression made by our pupils in last year’s initiative and competition. The mayor, Councillor Sean Bateson was present today for the launch of this Year’s Digital Youth initiative and the local council are once again sponsoring the event. Also present today were representatives from Zymplify, All State, Startacus and Youth Enterprise NI. Carly Warke from Zymplify hosted a presentation all about the Portstewart-based company and how marketing automation fits into the current Digital Revolution we are currently living in, she told the Dominican pupils that “We’re delighted to be here”. We were also delighted to welcome into school Carol Fitzsimons the chief executive of YENI for the launch of this year’s programme. Pupils were introduced to the new technologies of Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence before being set a group challenge. Mr. Peter McDaid, Head of ICT at Dominican College explained how our year 10 Pupils were asked to “Design and develop an app for a niche market harnessing the new technologies. Firstly, pupils had to agree on a product, develop and defend a business case and then deliver a presentation of their idea to fellow pupils and judges. This work brought together a wide range of skills from across the curriculum including ICT, communication, entrepreneurial skills and designs skills. Six groups on the day were selected by the judges to pitch their business canvas to the wider audience outlining what their product is, how they would fund it and why it would succeed” Judges paid tribute to the professionalism of the pupils and the quality of the ideas they produced. The winning Dominican group: Joy, Holly, Molly, Keeva, Clare, Eliza and Alice will now have the chance to refine their product and presentation ahead of the grand-final. Well done to all our pupils today for their ingenuity, energy and enthusiasm and to all today’s facilitators who made this a day to remember for our Year 10 pupils. Mr McDaid concluded the event by congratulating the pupils and assuring them “The facilitators were hugely impressed by the conduct and enthusiasm of the pupils and I felt very proud of all your work today. Dominican College was the ideal venue to launch this year’s nationwide initiative”. {module_photogallery,36871}