Givebackathon: UL ISE Students Supporting Local Charities (2023 – current)

The Givebackathon is a one-day community engagement event where first-year Immersive Software Engineering (ISE) students work with charities and social enterprises to help solve real technical challenges they face. Organisations bring problems such as outdated websites, communication gaps, or inefficient digital processes, and student teams design practical, low-cost solutions. Throughout the day, students analyse needs, develop prototypes and implementation plans, and present their recommendations directly to each charity. A structured handover kit with clear next steps is provided afterwards to support organisations in putting ideas into practice. The initiative creates a meaningful learning experience for students while giving charities access to technical expertise they often do not have in-house. 

Many charities and social enterprises struggle with digital, communication, and operational challenges, often because they lack technical staff or the resources needed to modernize systems. At the same time, ISE students are learning high-level software and problem-solving skills but need authentic, community-focused opportunities to practice communication, empathy, and collaboration. The Givebackathon brings these needs together in a way that benefits both groups. Students gain transformative experience working with real stakeholders and explaining technical ideas to non-technical audiences, while charities receive free, actionable guidance that can improve how they deliver their services. This “win-win” model builds student citizenship skills and strengthens the digital capacity of community organisations in Limerick and beyond.

Limerick IT Summit, Limerick Mental Health, Killaloe/Ballina Family Resource Centre, Px Consulting, Atlas Innovation Index, RNLI, The Urban Co-Op

We assess the Givebackathon’s impact through several mechanisms. Each charity provides verbal and written feedback on the clarity, usefulness and feasibility of the proposed solutions, and partners regularly highlight the value of receiving support they otherwise lack. Students submit reflective reports that capture their development in communication, teamwork, and problem-solving, offering strong evidence of personal and professional growth. Tangible outputs—such as websites, digital prototypes, implementation plans and handover kits—demonstrate clear progress for each organisation. Case examples from 2024 show meaningful impact, including a new website for Limerick Treaty Suicide Prevention and an improved inventory system concept for St. Vincent de Paul. Ongoing scaling (from 30 to 55 students and 10 partners) also indicates strong engagement and demand. 

We entered the UL Citizens’ Assembly 2026 and were one of the three winners chosen, winning €10,000 to continue and expand the project.