As part of the Build Action Mobilise (BAM) KA1 Erasmus+ project, adult learner and AONTAS Board Member Alan Hand attended the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) General Assembly and Conference from 26th-27th June in Copenhagen, Denmark with AONTAS Advocacy Lead Ben Hendriksen. The BAM Project, organised by AONTAS, supports the continuous professional development of our staff and Board. In this blog, Alan shares his fantastic experience facilitating a workshop, learning from in-depth discussions with adult education experts across Europe, and supporting Ben in his successful election to the new EAEA Executive Board.
AONTAS Advocacy Lead Ben Hendriksen travelled to Copenhagen, Denmark on the 25th June to attend the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA) General Assembly and Conference. The trip took place as part of the KA1 ERASMUS+ ‘Build Action Mobilise (BAM)’ project. Organised by AONTAS the project supports the continuous professional development of our staff and Board. In our latest blog Ben shares the highlights of his trip.
On Tuesday, 18th June AONTAS was delighted to partner with Cork Learning City to launch the 2019 edition of The Adult Learner Journal. To mark AONTAS’ 50 year anniversary, we produced a special issue of the Journal focusing on changes in the field of adult, further and community education in Ireland, across Europe, and globally over the past five decades.
AONTAS has long argued that community education has a proven track record in effectively engaging the most educationally disadvantaged learners and providing quality educational experiences that meets their needs. Through our Community Education Network (est 2007), we act as a voice for community education, advocating on issues such as highlighting the need for: a sustainable funding model; continued provision of Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) accredited programmes; and non-accredited learning. In our latest blog Advocacy Lead Ben Hendriksen outlines a collective achievement in gaining recognition of community education in the national political conversation.
AONTAS CEO Niamh O'Reilly recently participated at the Romanian EU Presidency Conference in Bucharest which focused on plans for Adult Upskilling and Reskilling. These initiatives across Europe come under the European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL), for which AONTAS is the national coordinator in Ireland, and specifically the Upskilling Pathways Recommendation. In our latest blog, she reflects on the conference and shares an update on current EU approaches and debates around sustainable funding for adult learning.
Over 70 AONTAS members came together at our 49th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in the Ashling Hotel, Dublin on the 22nd May 2019. Taking place in AONTAS’s fiftieth year, the 2019 AGM was an exciting event, presenting an opportunity for members to reflect on the history of the organisation, to celebrate our collective achievements over the past fifty years, and look to the future as we launched our new Strategic Plan 2019-2022: A Vision for Educational Equality.
AONTAS has engaged with EU candidates, and assisted our members to engage local candidates across the country, in order to make them all aware of the importance of adult and community education. Our latest blog outlines some of the ways that we have been supporting our members to engage with candidates in the lead-up to election day on Friday, 24th May.
