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ATU Launched Summer Camps for Secondary School Students to Ignite Innovation and Advance Youth Engagement in STEM and Entrepreneurship
Over the summer of 2025, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) successfully delivered a dynamic series of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summer Camps, engaging hundreds of secondary-level students across its campuses in Donegal, Galway City, Mayo, and Sligo.
Over the summer of 2025, Atlantic Technological University (ATU) successfully delivered a dynamic series of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summer Camps, engaging hundreds of secondary-level students across its campuses in Donegal, Galway City, Mayo, and Sligo.
Funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), the camps offered twelve themed programmes that gave students hands-on experience with design, tech, sustainability, and business challenges in a fun, collaborative environment.
Celebrating student creativity and confidence
Each summer camp was carefully crafted to ignite creativity, foster problem-solving skills and introduce students to the power of entrepreneurship. From robotics football and wearable tech to upcycled fashion design and sustainable food development, students explored future career possibilities in STEM, design, and business.
“The energy and creativity students brought to each camp has been truly inspiring,” said Grace Latham, Student Entrepreneurship Officer at ATU. “It was more than just learning new skills—it was about seeing young people gain confidence and realise their own potential.”
A standout feature of several camps was the return of recent ATU graduates who facilitated several workshops and shared their career journeys. Their presence not only provided hands-on mentorship but also demonstrated the tangible paths from student to innovator.
Guest speakers and industry-led workshops provided students with a direct connection to the real-world applications of their camp experiences, highlighting how innovation and entrepreneurship play a role in a wide range of careers.
From local business owners and start-up founders to engineers, artists, designers, and tech professionals, students heard first-hand about the journeys, challenges, and opportunities in various industries.
Highlights from the 2025 series:
- Girls in Engineering & Construction (ATU Sligo)
- Sustainable Fashion Design (ATU Donegal, Letterkenny)
- The Young Foodpreneurs Hub (ATU Galway, Dublin Road)
- Engineering the Future (ATU Donegal, Letterkenny)
- Animation (ATU Donegal, Letterkenny)
- YEP! (ATU Mayo, Castlebar)
Participants left with greater confidence, new friendships, and an understanding of how entrepreneurial skills can shape their future—regardless of career path. Many expressed a keen interest in exploring university programmes relating to their camp themes and promised to return for future ATU events.
About the ATU Entrepreneurship camps
ATU’s Innovation & Entrepreneurship Summer Camps are part of a wider mission to nurture an entrepreneurial mindset among young people, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds and DEIS schools. All camps were free to attend, with lunch provided daily and support from a dedicated team of facilitators, academic staff, and student ambassadors.
Camps still open for applications at ATU Donegal
- Chemistry In Action – Exploring Science through Innovation: Senior Cycle Chemistry students complete eight Leaving Cert experiments with real-world applications. This will run across Fridays on 5, 12, 19 and 26 September with attendance required.
- Experience Science: A Practical Lab Journey Across Disciplines: Transition Year students explore microbiology, molecular biology, analytical chemistry, and food science. This will run from 9 September to 11 September.
Both camps provide hands-on lab experience at ATU’s Letterkenny campus. Contact christopher.mceleney@atu.ie or andrew.mccloskey@atu.ie for more information.
Please visit the ATU website to download our brochure for full details and apply here.
Feature photo caption: Students from the “ Girls in Engineering and Construction” Summer Camp (ATU Sligo) with lecturers and industry speakers with Lisa Brennan, Emma Britton, Fionnuala Farrell, Beth Anthonia Brown, Dr Trevor McSharry, Marlí Heyneke, Faye Kennedy, Denise Tuffy, Úna Parsons, Orlaigh Smyth and Jane Grimson.
