A small rural school in County Roscommon is showing just how far young people’s ideas can travel when creativity, technology and education come together.
Our Village, Our Europe: Voices of Change from Curraghboy – Ireland’s EU Presidency in Action.
The occasion also marked the school’s countdown to EU Code Week 2026, which takes place from
10–25 October, connecting the pupils’ work in Curraghboy with a much wider European community of young people exploring coding, digital creativity and technology.
A local school with a European outlook
At the heart of the event were the pupils themselves.
Fourth, fifth and sixth class students contributed their articles, ideas and perspectives to the magazine, exploring themes including democracy, sustainability, technology, culture and Europe’s future.
More than simply producing a publication, the project gave pupils an opportunity to become creators rather than just consumers of information. Through researching, writing, communicating and using digital tools, they were able to develop their own voices and consider how young people can contribute to conversations taking place far beyond their classroom.
For Rory Leonard, Principal of Curraghboy National School and EU Code Week Ambassador for Ireland, this connection between local learning and wider European participation is particularly important.
As an EU Code Week Ambassador, Rory works to encourage coding, computational thinking, digital creativity and accessible technology education, helping more educators and young people discover how digital skills can become part of meaningful learning experiences.
At Curraghboy NS, that means looking beyond technology for technology’s sake and giving pupils opportunities to use digital skills to explore real issues, tell stories, solve problems and connect with others.
Connecting Curraghboy with Europe
The event welcomed representatives from education, local government, technology and European organisations.
Guests included Maria Walsh MEP; Matej Marn, representing the Embassy of Slovenia in Dublin; Gareth Scahill; Cllr Emer Kelly, Cathaoirleach of Roscommon County Council; Cllr Valerie Duffy, Leas-Cathaoirleach; Cllr Tony Ward; Kevin Marshall, Head of Learning and Skills at Microsoft Ireland; and representatives from European Movement Ireland, including Amy McLoughlin and her team.
Joining the event online were Dr Daithí Ó Murchú, Honorary Consul for Côte d’Ivoire to Ireland, and Diana Filip, Deputy CEO and Chief Development Officer at JA Europe, bringing an additional international dimension to the day and connecting Curraghboy with the wider EU Code Week community.
The range of voices represented reflected one of the central messages of the event: young people in every community, regardless of its size or location, can be part of Europe’s digital future.
Coding, creativity and responsible technology
The event provided a timely opportunity to look ahead to EU Code Week and to highlight the role that coding and digital skills can play across education.
EU Code Week is not only about learning how to code. It is about encouraging curiosity, creativity, problem-solving and confidence with technology, while helping young people understand how the digital world around them works.
Those ideas were evident throughout Curraghboy’s project.
By creating their own content and exploring subjects that affect their community and their future, pupils demonstrated how digital learning can connect with subjects ranging from citizenship and sustainability to communication and culture.
It also showed that opportunities to engage with digital innovation do not need to be limited by geography.
Small schools can become places where new approaches are tested, pupils experiment with technology and young people develop the confidence to participate in a rapidly changing digital world.
Small school, big ideas
The Curraghboy event was ultimately a celebration of what becomes possible when student voice, creativity, digital education and community support come together.
It was also an example of the spirit at the heart of EU Code Week: educators creating opportunities for young people to explore technology, share what they have learned and see themselves as active participants in Europe’s digital future.
Small schools can think big.
Rural communities can lead innovation.
Every child’s voice can make a difference.
As schools, teachers and communities across Europe prepare for EU Code Week 2026 from 10–25 October, Curraghboy National School offers an inspiring reminder that coding and digital creativity can begin anywhere, including a small classroom in rural Ireland, and connect young people with a community stretching right across Europe.
Get involved in EU Code Week 2026
EU Code Week takes place from 10–25 October 2026. Schools, teachers, organisations and communities across Europe can take part by organising or joining coding and digital skills activities.
