Community Education
AONTAS began working with the community education women's groups in the 1990s through two major EU funded projects under the NOW (New Opportunities for Women) initiative 1992-1997 subsequently through the Women's Education Networks Development Initiative (WENDI) 1998-2000 funded by Department of Education and Science's Women's Education Initiative (WEI). A cross department initiative Strategies To Advance Networks Collective Empowerment (STANCE) 2001-2003 funded by both Education and Science and Community Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs enabled the networks to develop their capacity to work in partnership and influence policy. AONTAS has also supported community education through research-At The Forefront 2000 and Invisible Movement 1999-a documentary on women's community education.
Currently there are 197 community and voluntary groups as members of AONTAS comprising of women's groups, men's groups, community development and family resource centres. AONTAS continues to support these groups through policy and research work including the development of the Community Education Network, Women's Community Education Quality Assurance Framework and the research on a database of community education providers.
Quotes from community education participants
"Community education has given me my voice back."
"From being involved in the local men's group I have now taken on working with a local group."
"I left school with no qualifications now I am in 3rd level and it all started with my local community group"
