PEACEPLUS Shared Education Partnership Celebrate Success in FIRST® Tech Challenge UK

This year’s theme, Into the Deep, presented by RTX, invited young people to embark on an underwater adventure—exploring how robotics supports ocean research and helps uncover the mysteries of the deep.

Over several months, pupils from all four partner schools collaborated, meeting regularly to design, build, and programme a sophisticated competition robot. Their achievements reflect both their commitment to STEM learning and the strong relationships fostered through Shared Education.

The team’s hard work culminated in the Northern Ireland Final, held at W5 in Belfast on 25th March, where students showcased their robots, competing alongside schools from across the region. The atmosphere was electric, with teams demonstrating innovation, teamwork, and impressive technical skill as they took on this exhilarating STEM challenge.

The FIRST Tech Challenge UK programme delivers 30 hours of robotics‑based STEM education and careers enrichment, woven across two academic terms and culminating in one of the UK’s most exciting competitive STEM events.

Working together, students took on roles mirroring real‑world engineering teams:

• Designing, building, and coding a fully operational robot
• Developing a business plan with strategy, fundraising, marketing, and community outreach
• Collaborating across schools to solve complex engineering challenges
• Presenting their work to industry judges and mentors

Supported by an industry mentor, the team applied engineering concepts, creative thinking, and problem‑solving skills to push their robot from concept to competition-ready machine.

Participation in FIRST Tech Challenge has provided a powerful platform for pupils from the four partner schools to work together towards a shared goal, demonstrating the positive impact of the PEACEPLUS Aspire. Through this collaboration, young people not only strengthened STEM skills but also built friendships, mutual respect, and a deeper understanding of one another’s communities.

PEACEPLUS ASPIRE (Advancing Shared Partnerships through Inclusive Relationships in Education) is led by the Education Authority (EA), alongside Léargas, Early Years- the organisation for young children, National Childhood Network (NCN) and the Fermanagh Trust. The project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). It aims to provide direct and sustained contact between children and young people from all backgrounds.