Students from 4 Belfast Schools unite for Decode Robotics Challenge at W5

9 January 2026

Students from Methodist College, Malone Integrated College, Coláiste Feirste, and St Mary’s Christian Brothers Grammar School, all based in Belfast, have come together to prepare for the First Tech Challenge, as part of their post primary PEACEPLUS ASPIRE partnership.

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2 students are crouching, two are standing around a small robotic device. Screen beside students reads FTC starter bot

The robotics competition, called Decode, involves teams designing, building and programming robots to compete in an alliance format against other teams, in W5, Belfast. Competition participants learn engineering skills and work collaboratively to solve problems. The challenge is focused on unlocking the mysteries of the world’s artifacts through strategy, innovation, and teamwork.

Students are looking forward to having the support of an engineer at a future session, who will introduce them to essential design principles and guide their creative process.

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.

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Last updated: 28/01/2026