Maths Week Ireland, Calmast, Waterford Institute of Technology

Calmast is Waterford Institute of Technology’s STEM Engagement Hub. It was established in 2003 to address issues in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) building on work of the South East Schools Science Initiative commenced in the 1990’s. The centre leverages the resources of WIT (in particular the staff and students and venues) and works in partnership with schools, industry and business, local authorities, public bodies and non-governmental organisations. 

The idea of Maths Week orginated in 2005 with Sheila Donegan and Eoin Gill, directors of Calmast STEM Outreach Centre at Waterford Institute of Technology. After several years of working hard to promote STEM, they came to the realisation that mathematics was the foundation underpinning all of STEM and in order to increase uptake amoung the public, attitudes towards maths had to change.

Maths Week has grown to attract participation from as many as 400,000 people annually across the island of Ireland. It has evolved into a partnership of more than 50 organisation including universities, institutes of technology, teacher training colleges, further education, professional bodies, museums, libraries and visitor centres and other groups, all united with the shared vision of making maths accessible to people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. Our maxim is simple, yet inclusive: "Maths for All"

Calmast has been funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) as the STEM Hub for the South East Region.

The core value is “STEM for all” and we work in a spirit of partnership in all things to engage as many as possible. In 2018 over 20,000 attended Calmast coordinated events in the region and hundreds of thousands engaged with Maths Week Ireland.

The Centre manager is Dr Cordula Weiss and directors are Dr Sheila Donegan and Eoin Gill.

Waterford Institute of Technology is a university level institute located in the South-East of Ireland