Microsoft's Dream Space programme has reached more than 70,000 students across Northern Ireland since its 2019 launch, and the company is now inviting primary and post-primary schools to register for the new academic year.

The free STEM, digital and AI skilling initiative runs through a dedicated hub at W5 LIFE in Belfast, giving students hands-on learning access regardless of individual school budgets.

The milestone, confirmed by Microsoft, coincides with applications opening for the Dream Space Ambassador Programme for 2026/27, through which 1,467 students to date have helped extend the programme's reach to more than 20,000 additional learners, teachers and other adults.

Microsoft Corporation, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, and listed on Nasdaq (MSFT), reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $331.8 billion for the year ended June 2026, up 18% year on year. W5 LIFE, the science and discovery centre in Belfast that hosts the Dream Space hub, opened the dedicated facility in November 2022 and delivers the programme in partnership with Microsoft and the Education Authority.

The structural driver behind the expansion is Microsoft's wider island-of-Ireland AI skilling commitment, having pledged £1 million to Dream Space Northern Ireland specifically and a further £3.4 million across the island last year to widen reach among students, teachers and communities.

Catherine Doyle, general manager of Microsoft Ireland, said Northern Ireland has an opportunity to become "a global leader in the AI era" but that realising it "starts with investing in the next generation of talent," describing the 70,000-student milestone as reflecting "the enthusiasm we continue to see from schools, teachers and students right across the region."

Christine Rodgers, a teacher at Aquinas Diocesan Grammar School, said Dream Space has been "a fantastic resource for our students and staff," giving pupils a practical way to explore STEM and AI while providing teachers with "really valuable professional development and classroom resources."

For the sector, Dream Space's continued expansion confirms that large technology companies are becoming embedded, long-term partners in Northern Ireland's STEM curriculum delivery, rather than one-off sponsors of isolated classroom initiatives.

Source: syncni.com / microsoft.com