Coding Grace - Nov/Dec 2026 Newsletter⛄️
🔜 Time flies and we are nearing the end of 2026, and our last newsletter of the year, hope you enjoy the what we've been up to and upcoming community news and opportunities.
🙌 We ran our inaugural Python and Electronic workshop series which took place over five weeks on a Saturday morning in September and wrapped on October 3rd. You can read more about it in our post-event writeup.
And we are not done yet, the Coding Grace team still has a couple more workshops to round off the year.
🎙️ Vicky was on The CircuitPython Show sharing her journey into tech, how she got involved with the Irish tech community, the Maker community, and why she chose CircuitPython for the recent Python and electronic workshops.
⛑️ Vicky has personally added her signatory to "Safe to Create" as she believes safe working spaces as well as events and activities she's involved in.
Safe to Create is a collaborative programme of supports looking to transform workplace culture and practices, and to provide safe and respectful working conditions for those working in the arts and creative sectors.
💟 We recently updated our Code of Conduct with a new recording policy banning smart glasses and discrete recording devices and we are glad to see other industry and community events are also doing similar.
☹️ With recent news of Grace Hopper Celebrations who recently cancelled their conference 2 weeks before it was due to take place, it highlights issues like funding, which was due to withdrawal of corporate support and lower numbers of attendees registering. And are large conferences like GHC still relevant? Should it be smaller and less dependent on costly venues and catering? What do you think?
💖 On the back of this bad news, it was also amazing to see the community come together creating adhoc in-person events like RECLAIM or help share/amplify those who were planning to speak at GHC. These are only a couple of examples of the community coming together.
😕 I maintain a list of diversity in tech groups in Ireland and Northern Ireland, and for the past few years I've waited to see if inactive community groups remained dormant, even after so many years since the covid restrictions were lifted, especially for diversity in tech groups. Alas some haven't come back (or they have simply moved on - that is okay too).
Groups listed above are groups I removed due to inactivity - thank you for all your hard work. 🙏
Above are groups I added to the Diversity In Tech Groups in Ireland and Northern Ireland listings. Welcome! 👋
If there are groups that we are missing or not in service anymore, let me know and I'll update the list on https://diversityintech.fyi/diversity.
Barry Walsh
📝 Recently Barry Walsh interviewed Vicky for Focus on Diversity recently highlighting her experience being involved in various tech communities.
Read it here >>>
👏 Silicon Republic recently highlighted «30 remarkable women to watch in STEM» "who can truly serve as an inspiration for young women looking to get into the sector". Read it here >>>
👏 A big congratulations to TOG Hackerspace who won the National Heritage Week Award recently.
Our winning event, Forging History: Metalworking and the 1798 & 1803 Uprisings, brought traditional blacksmithing and Irish history together for a hands-on workshop exploring the making of pikes and rockets used during the United Irishmen uprisings.
🎉It's The Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR)'s 5th Anniversary, join their live-stream. You can also submit questions for their dedicated audience section.
🛟 We need your help, support Coding Grace
Coding Grace is an Irish non-profit and we are volunteers running all the activities from curating events listings, running bi-monthly newsletters (including the one you are reading right now), advocating diversity in tech through events, speaking engagements, and collaborations.
💸 As a registered company, our main expenses includes accountancy fees, AIB bank fees, Canva, domain hosting. By donating, this will contribute with our running operation costs each year which includes above plus supplies, venue hire, catering for workshops and other events.
💖 If you want to be involved with Coding Grace, there are different ways from offering to mentoring 🧑🏫, collaborating 🤝, help spreading the word about us 💬, and financial contributions 🤲.
🙏 Support us by donating to ko-fi
[CTA] Waterford Tech Meetup - Help shape 10th anniversary Session
🎉 Celebrating 10 years of Waterford Tech Meetup takes place on 12 November at 7pm at Waterford Treasures Museum.
Help shape their anniversary panel by sharing your meetup experiences, thoughts on technology, and questions for their panellists.
Responses are anonymous, some results will be shared on the night.
🌈 Dublin City PPN - Community Partner, we are also a member.
💬 We are planning to move away from Discord, but for now, to keep the conversation going, join us on our Discord server: https://discord.gg/PVNQcpH4gq
✨ TrailblazHER™ Scholarships & Bursaries
TrailblazHER™, together with Founding Partner Intel, is committed to supporting women to succeed in higher education and progress towards their future careers. The Intel TrailblazHER Scholarships provide financial assistance to eligible women students undertaking selected undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at TU Dublin. Two scholarships will be awarded through the 2026 call: one undergraduate and one postgraduate. Recipients will receive a financial award up to a value of €9,000, to support their studies and associated costs, together with opportunities to engage with Intel through networking, mentoring and career development activities.
⏳ Closing date for applications: Wednesday 18th November (17:00)
(Note: Only for registered undergraduate or postgraduate student at TU Dublin)
✨ European Prize for Women Innovators powered by EIC & EIT
The European Prize for Women Innovators is jointly awarded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the European Innovation Council (EIC). Through this collaboration, the EIT and EIC are showcasing a large pool of women innovators, offering more opportunities for trailblazers, and providing inspiring role models for women and girls everywhere.
3 Prize Categories (you can only apply to one category)
- In the EIC Women Innovators category, three prizes of EUR 100 000, EUR 70 000 and EUR 50 000 are awarded to the three highest-ranked applications;
- In the EIC Rising Innovators, three prizes of EUR 50 000, EUR 30 000 and EUR 20 000 are awarded to the three highest-ranked applications from promising ‘Rising Innovators’ under the age of 35.
- The EIT Women Leadership Award, awarded to exceptional women leaders from the EIT Community. The winner is awarded EUR 50 000, and two runners-up are awarded EUR 30 000 and EUR 20 000 respectively.
🎤 BelTech 2027 Call for Speakers
🗓️ Event: Thu, Mar 4, 2027
📍 Titanic Belfast
🏡 https://www.beltech.co/
🎤 PyLadies Dublin 2027: CFP
PyLadies Dublin are looking for speakers, workshops, and collaborations for 2027.
Some of the various things you can submit:-
⚡️ Lightning Talks
💻 Workshops
🎤 Show & Tell
⚙️ Maker activity
💟 Other ideas for an event
Any questions, or looking to sponsor/host our event, email: dublin@pyladies.com
🎤 Wexford Tech Meetup: Call for Speakers
(Online) National Council For Special Education: Assistive technology solutions that support inclusion for students with physical, vision and hearing needs
🗓️ Tue Nov 10, 2026 (09:30)
(Online) Navigating Careers in the Age of AI - Women in Data Science (WiDS) Panel
🗓️ Wed Nov 11, 2026 (19:00)
CloseTheGap Launch @ Royal Irish Academy
🗓️ Mon Nov 16, 2026 (18:00)
TechTides Youth 2026 @ Foyle Theatre (Derry)
🗓️ Mon Nov 23, 2026 (10:00)
💖 Thank you to all our readers and subscribers of our newsletter so far. It's been a whirlwind of a year, and I hope to bring more events and activities next year.
🙏 We are continuously grateful for the generosity of our supporters.
💝 Donate €5 a month would help us out a lot.
🫶 With your support, we can continue to be there providing info, collaborate and events for the community in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Our next bi-monthly newsletter will be published in Jan 2027 which will include the following:-
- 📢 Announcements
- 🗓️ Events
- 💟 Opportunities
If you have anything happening in 🎊January and 🌸February, drop us an email at contact@codinggrace.com.
🎄As this is the last newsletter of 2026, Season's Greetings to all and stay safe and warm! ⛄️
Cheers,
/// Vicky 🐱🏳️🌈🦄
