The shortlist is divided into five categories of adult learning initiatives that support people with:
The STAR Awards is judged by an independent panel of educators, policymakers, adult learners, and other adult learning experts.
This category, which is sponsored by Open College Network Northern Ireland, is open to adult learning initiatives that support people to be included in and contribute to social and cultural life in their local communities.
The project addresses digital exclusion and unmet digital needs of adults living in County Leitrim. They offer one-to-one sessions in 8 library branches across County Leitrim every week, with the goals of helping adults to overcome challenges relating to digital literacy and to make information available and accessible. The sessions take place in a relaxed, comfortable, and supportive environment, and are completely directed by the person’s individual requirements. The focus of the initiative is to offer guidance on how the person can use their own devices like smart phones and tablets, to enable them to feel competent and confident in accessing and using services like Government websites and financial and social activities. This ranges from booking train tickets and hair appointments, to buying car insurance, using Google Maps, and sending emails. People need these skills to be active as citizens and to participate fully in their communities. The target group for this project includes the most vulnerable and marginalised in society including people with disabilities, unemployed, members of the Traveller community, low-paid workers, people with language needs, older adults, and migrants. The age profile ranged from people in their early 30s to late 80s. Between February 2022 and March 2023, 862 older adults living in County Leitrim availed of the service.
This initiative is aimed at migrants who are parents of children attending DEIS schools in Limerick city. DEIS schools help children and young people who are at risk of or who are experiencing educational disadvantage. There are children from 64 countries across the five schools involved in this initiative. The aim of the initiative is to create a safe space for people to practise their language skills. 99% of students are women, most from Afghanistan. The initiative takes place in a parents’ room in one of the primary schools, to allow ease of access and a sense of familiarity for attendees. Classes begin with tea, halal snacks, and general conversation. The club uses stimulus material like restaurant menus and maps to create conversations around issues that are important to the women. The idea is to provide them with necessary life skills for their day-to-day interactions. This includes a visit to the doctor, food shopping, and parent-teacher meetings. The educators model key vocabulary needed for day-to-day living and the students role-play the situations. To broaden the student’s knowledge of the city they live in, the club offers cultural walking tours, visits to local museums, and art appreciation classes. Throughout the year, they also have cultural celebrations in the classroom. This year, they held a party to celebrate Eid, where the students cooked and shared traditional food. The club has now partnered with Limerick Sports Partnership for a bespoke health programme for women who live in small spaces with limited free time for exercise. The club has been running for five years. It recognises the reality of the impact of migration on peoples’ lives and the absolute imperative to provide safe, nurturing, learning spaces to promote integration and a respect for and celebration of diversity.
Established in 2016, Sailing into Wellness is a vibrant social enterprise that uses the sea as a powerful medium to build connections between people. Their innovative programme is based on the idea that, in Ireland, the sea surrounds us and binds us together. This initiative combines education, social inclusion, and a therapeutic approach to cater to people with complex needs from various communities. Participants face challenges including learning difficulties, mental health issues, addiction, reintegration into society from prison, social exclusion, employability concerns, developmental hurdles, and physical disabilities. Through carefully designed programmes, this initiative focuses on teaching people to sail while also facilitating them to learn essential skills like communication, teamwork, personal autonomy, risk-taking, and community engagement, and to find a greater sense of belonging, confidence, and wellbeing. When out on the water, the team fosters a unique social community where everyone is treated with equality. The transformative impact of the initiative is evident in the learners’ personal development, and the growth in their confidence to pursue further education and advancements.
This multi-sensory exhibition, funded through the Heritage Council, was co-created between 4 visually impaired people and 6 museum volunteers and staff. The people with visual impairments selected 35 objects from the museum’s collection. Museum volunteers and staff then worked with them to produce written descriptions for each object. They selected 9 favourite objects and developed audio descriptions for each. Using high-quality 3D-printed replicas, they could explore the objects by touch. Before the Seeing Without Sight exhibition, the voices and perspectives of the visually impaired community were not represented in the Hunt Museum. The learners/co-creaters went on to design solutions to increase accessibility for people with sight loss for the museum, which also enriched the experience of visiting the museum for everybody. The teams also worked together to deliver two live audio description tours, enabling our learners/co-creators to further share their knowledge and expertise. These tours helped to normalise disability in the museum and to achieve greater representation and diversity. The project resulted in increased openness, empathy, understanding, cooperative learning and interpersonal relationships within the team, and the exhibition is now enjoyed by a larger cross-section of people, of differing ages, needs, and abilities.
For this initiative, two groups of Travellers came together to collectively create a story sack that reflects Traveller life in Donegal. Organised and supported by the Donegal Travellers Project, Donegal County Library, and Donegal ETB's Further Education and Training Services, this project is funded through the Adult Literacy for Life Collaboration and Innovation Fund. Each group published a children's storybook and a collection of stories that depict the culture, traditions, and heritage of the Traveller community. This resulted in improved literacy skills for the people involved, and new resources to encourage improved literacy in their families. Classes were held in the local library, and all learners had an opportunity to become library members. Most had never used a library before as they felt uncomfortable but, with the support of their tutor, they learned to use the computers and borrow books. Through creating the books, the skills they learned – from research, to writing, to critical thinking – can be carried to other aspects of their lives. To ensure accessibility for all, the learners also recorded an audio of each book, which was then uploaded to YouTube and can be accessed by scanning the QR code on each book. They chose an off-white colour for the book pages to make reading easier for anyone with dyslexia. The programme also fostered a sense of belonging, where the learners’ voices were heard. The books tell the learners’ stories and share their heritage, generating a sense of identity and pride. They promote an understanding of the Traveller community, with the goal of challenging stereotypes and reducing discrimination. This initiative not only allowed learners to share their stories but ensures that these stories will endure, contributing to a more inclusive and empathetic society in Ireland.
Because the STAR Awards ceremony is focussed on the nominees, particularly the learners, it is an invite-only event. But we'll be sharing the ceremony as it happens on our social media, and spotlighting the winners.
The Adult Learners’ Festival, happening this year from 4th to 8th March 2024, is a nationwide celebration of adult learning. This year’s theme is “Everyday Learning Spaces – Find Yourself Here,” celebrating safe and supportive learning environments, wherever they may be.
Visit this page for more details about the Festival
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For more information, contact alf@aontas.com
