AONTAS STAR Awards

1. What is the Adult Learners' Festival?

The 2025 AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival will take place from 3rd to 7th March 2025. The Festival is a nationwide celebration of adult learning coordinated by AONTAS, in collaboration with other key national organisations and stakeholders.

Over the past 19 years, the Festival has become a firm fixture in the Irish adult learning calendar, showcasing the range of learning opportunities available across the country and encouraging adults to try something new.

2. What are the STAR Awards?

The STAR Awards are an awards initiative coordinated by AONTAS as part of the annual Adult Learners' Festival to acknowledge the fantastic work undertaken by adult learning initiatives throughout Ireland.

Now in their 20th year, the STAR Awards recognise outstanding work in adult learning. The STAR Awards also give initiatives the opportunity to spotlight their excellent work across Ireland and bring national recognition to learners, staff and organising bodies.

3. Who can nominate a project?

Nominated Initiatives are welcome from all groups, throughout the island of Ireland, as long as they focus on adult and community education and demonstrate innovative approaches to adult learning within their relevant category. 

4. What are the categories?

The 2025 categories are: 

• Adult Learning Initiatives that Support Health and Wellbeing
• Adult Learning Initiatives that Support Third-level Access and Engagement
• Adult Learning Initiatives that Support Social Inclusion
• Adult Learning Initiatives that Support Global Citizenship Education
• Adult Learning Initiatives that Support Learner Voice

5. What are the judges looking for?

The judges look for a combination of elements including: 

• Innovate approach – initiatives should be able to show innovation in their work or approach to learning
• Collaboration/Partnership - evidence of teamwork, partnership and cooperation between diverse groups
• Inclusion - learning opportunities should reach all learners, especially those furthest from the education and training system
• Learner supports - which facilitate access and retention of learners such as financial, mentoring and caring supports
• Positive learning experiences - such as how the initiative's curriculum was built around the learners' needs or interests
• Progression – demonstrate learner’s movement onto further education training, community involvement or employment
• Learner choice - Learners should be supported to make informed choices regarding what, and how, they learn
• Transformative learning - show how being involved in learning has helped the participants to make a change to their lives and that of their community

6. Why should I nominate an initiative for a STAR Award?

The STAR Awards are the perfect opportunity to highlight the impact of adult learning to politicians, funders, media and the public to help spread word about the difference it can make to people's lives. 

7. Who judges the STAR Awards?

The independent STAR Awards judging panel includes people from adult learning organisations, universities, Government and other groups in the adult and community education in Ireland. 

8. How do I nominate a group?

Nominations for the 2025 awards are opening soon! Click here to learn more and nominate an adult learning initiative today!