Community
When people hear about STEAM Studio, they often think about the students, the 13 to 15-year-olds building their first arcade game. But for the engineers who volunteer their time, it’s personal and professionally transformative - it’s about rediscovering curiosity, strengthening communication skills and growing into more confident leaders.
We spoke with Gouri, Senior Software Engineer and STEAM Studio Ambassador, about how the experience has shaped her own growth.
Gouri, what made you want to become a STEAM Studio Ambassador?
I’ve always believed that exposure matters. When you’re younger, technology can feel abstract, something complicated and out of reach. I wanted to help change that. I wanted students to see that it’s something they can actually do.
I also saw it as an opportunity to grow myself. As engineers, we spend a lot of time deep in code and problem-solving, but volunteering pushes us into a completely different environment and working with young adults, it stretches us in ways our day-to-day role might not. And that stretch is where growth happens.
What actually happens during a workshop?
The students are first encouraged to explore the museum exhibition and choose an object or story that sparks their imagination. They then plan their arcade game using storyboards and sketches, it involves defining characters, challenges and game mechanics.
Then, using Microsoft MakeCode Arcade, they bring their ideas to life by coding sprites, levels and logic. We, the ambassadors, are there to guide them, we help them think through problems. Watching them debug something for the first time and realise, “Oh, I can fix this,” is incredibly powerful.
What skills do you think STEAM Studio encourages young people to explore?
It’s designed to build a mix of technical and transferable skills in young people by encouraging them to explore coding and technical skills while also developing creativity through simple game design.
They learn how software works behind the digital world, design their own characters and stories and experiment and iterate on their ideas, with a strong emphasis on curiosity, confidence and hands-on learning. But what surprises many people is how much soft skill development happens in the room. Students collaborate, explain their ideas, test things that don’t work, try again. It’s creative, messy and energising. In many ways, STEAM Studio is as much about people skills as it is about coding.
How has volunteering helped your own personal and professional growth?
When you’re explaining logic or sequencing to a 14-year-old, you can’t rely on jargon. You have to simplify without losing meaning. That’s a skill that directly translates back into the workplace, especially when working with cross-functional teams or stakeholders who aren’t technical. It’s also improved my patience and empathy.
Not everyone learns the same way or at the same pace. Learning to adapt your explanation on the spot is something that makes you a stronger engineer and collaborator. Also, seeing students so engaged and curious is inspiring - it’s so rewarding to help spark a love for software engineering.
Do you then also see it as a leadership development opportunity?
Absolutely. Facilitating a workshop requires confidence, clarity and presence. You’re managing energy levels, encouraging quieter students, keeping things moving and making sure everyone feels included. You are helping them believe in themselves and that they can figure it out. That’s leadership in action. Volunteering has made me more intentional about how I support others, both inside and outside of work.
What’s been the most rewarding part of the experience?
Seeing that shift in confidence. When a student says, “I made this,” it’s such a proud moment. Technology stops being something distant and becomes something tangible. And, the growth for us as volunteers, too. You leave the session energised. It reminds you why you got into tech in the first place - curiosity, creativity, building something from nothing.
For Liberty IT, STEAM Studio plays a massive part in responsible innovation and long-term talent development at a local level. How important do you think local representation is?
It’s incredibly important. When students see someone from their own city working in tech, it makes the path feel real. It challenges the idea that you have to move away to build a career in this industry.
Many young people in the West of Ireland, especially in more rural areas, don’t always have the same access to structured, industry-led STEM programmes as those in larger tech hubs. So, for us ambassadors, being present in person matters. It also reinforces the idea that technology isn’t just about products or platforms, but about people and communities.
And finally, Gouri, are there any improvements to the programme that you can think of?
The hands-on format works really well for the students and for us. The engagement levels are completely different as they are building something themselves. You can explain concepts like sequencing, but when they see how changing a line of code immediately affects how their game behaves, it clicks.
Because we use school-approved software that teachers are already familiar with, the workshop doesn’t feel like a one-off experience. Students can continue experimenting back in the classroom, making the learning sustainable. What I love most about the STEAM Studio programme is that it’s anchored in doing. It’s not about watching a demo. It’s about creating something from scratch and being proud of it.
STEAM Studio powered by Liberty IT is a multi-year programme delivered in partnership with Galway City Museum, following the success of its launch in Belfast in collaboration with National Museums NI.
Designed for students aged 13–15, the workshops blend coding, creativity and local heritage. Students begin by exploring museum exhibitions, drawing inspiration from artefacts and stories, such as the iconic Galway Hooker boats.
From there, they sketch out game concepts, design characters and challenges, and bring their ideas to life using Microsoft MakeCode Arcade. Supported by Liberty IT’s volunteer STEAM Studio Ambassadors, students code sprites, build levels and test game logic before sharing a fully playable arcade game inspired by history.
Since its launch, STEAM Studio has reached over 870 young people across Belfast and Galway, while Liberty IT’s wider STEM Ambassador initiatives have engaged more than 5,500 students.
At Liberty IT, innovation isn’t just about what we build, it’s about how we invest in our people and the communities we are part of. STEAM Studio is one example of how our engineers grow not only through technology but also through connection, mentorship, and shared learning.
If you’d like to learn more about STEAM Studio and its impact across Belfast and Galway, or if you’re interested in finding out how you could get involved with an IT company that values both engineering excellence and community impact, get in touch!
Our people use their time, skills and experience to support local communities and help more people see what a future in technology could look like. From STEM outreach to volunteering, community is part of how Liberty IT gives back.
