7 January 2016
By Elaine Murphy
elaine@TheCork.ie
Pictured are I WISH Ambassador Anna McKenna from Scoil Mhuire Wellington rd with I WISH founders Gillian Keating, Partner, Ronan Daly Jermyn Solicitors, Caroline O’Driscoll Partner KPMG and vice chair IT@Cork and Ruth Buckley Head of ICT & Business Services at Cork City Council. Pic Darragh Kane.
Innovative schoolgirls from Cork today (Thursday) launched a crowdfunding campaign for the latest piece of wearable technology – a Ringly. The Ringly – a jewellery/technology hybrid – will be used as the prize at the 2 day I WISH Conference which aims to educate young girls about Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) and takes place in Cork City Hall on 11 & 12 February.
Transition year students, and I WISH ambassadors, Anna McKenna and Niamh O’Connell from Scoil Mhuire in Cork are leading the crowdfunding campaign and aim to raise at least €200 in one month through €2 donations. The funds raised will be used to purchase a Ringly which will be used as prize for the Juniors Dragons Den competition at the I WISH event.
“We are so excited to launch this crowdfunding campaign as part of the I WISH event. A Ringly is an actual ring that you wear but it can vibrate, change colour and notify you when calls, texts and e-mails come through on your smartphone. It looks like jewellery but it’s really technology,” said Anna McKenna, transition year student and I WISH ambassador.
“I WISH is all about inspiring young girls and showing them what technology, among other things, can do. We want to learn about modern wearable technology first-hand, and this campaign will allow us to do just that. We hope to crowdfund enough money to purchase the Ringly, and then donate it as a prize,” she added.
I WISH is an award-winning partnership initiative between Cork Chamber, it@cork, and Cork City Council, supported by SFI, Dell, Cork County Council, UCC and CIT,. The initiative was co-founded in 2014 by three Cork business women – Gillian Keating, Partner, Ronan Daly Jermyn Solicitors, Caroline O’Driscoll, Partner KPMG and vice chair IT@Cork and Ruth Buckley, Head of ICT & Business Services at Cork City Council.
The 2 day I WISH event will cater for 2000 young women from schools across Cork, Kerry, Limerick and Waterford. The event includes talks, demonstrations and interactive hubs where students can meet and engage with inspiring women working in a variety of STEM roles. Students will also hear from female leaders in Dell, PepsiCo, Google, Vodafone, Twitter and young female entrepreneurs about tech and science careers for women, as well as young women with careers in traditionally male-dominated areas such as engineering and maths.
For further information or to donate €2 to help Anna and Niamh purchase a Ringly see www.gofundme.com/iWish2016.
