Our new report is showing how primary school children can contribute to conversations about smart cities, connectivity and local community challenges was launched today at Trinity College Dublin as part of Researchers' Week.

'The Connective Detective' Report brings together the results and lessons from the first three years of The Connective Detective, a free smart city education programme developed by the Academy of the Near Future at Trinity College Dublin for pupils in fifth and sixth class. The programme uses hands-on activities to explain telecommunications, connectivity and smart city technologies, while giving children opportunities to identify problems in their communities and design their own technology-based responses.

At the launch, pupils who previously took part in the programme presented their prototypes and spoke about their ideas.

Report findings

• approximately 800 pupils have participated in 121 school workshops since 2024
• 18 schools have taken part, including 17 DEIS schools
• eight community workshops have reached approximately 560 participants, contributing to more than 2,500 engagements overall
• more than half of programme participants were girls
• 46 per cent of student prototypes addressed pollution, 32 per cent focused on social challenges and 22 per cent examined infrastructure

The pupils' ideas included cleaning robots and smart recycling bins, sensors to identify unsafe parking or monitor biodiversity, technology to support people experiencing homelessness, and designs for more accessible parks and youth spaces.

"At a time when technology is reshaping our world at an unprecedented pace, initiatives that help children understand technology, question it, influence it and use it for the common good have never been more important."

Dr. Ann Devitt, Associate Professor & Head of School of Education, Trinity College Dublin

About The Connective Detective

The Connective Detective was developed in 2023 and first piloted in 2024. It is led by Clara Butz. The programme is part of the Academy of the Near Future within Smart Docklands, a smart city testbed funded and developed by Dublin City Council and the CONNECT Research Ireland Centre for Future Networks and Communications, headquartered at Trinity College Dublin.The programme prioritises DEIS schools and is free for participating schools.