Our Community Education Officer Lorraine O’Connor visits members of the Community Education Network across the country, demonstrating the real impact of their work and the transformative benefits they bring to their communities.
On 22 May, we gathered for the 55th AONTAS Annual General Meeting, a powerful day of reflection and connection. Guided by our theme of Connecting Communities, the day was an opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues and celebrate the strength of adult and community education across the island.
As we reach the end of another academic term, we're critically reflecting on learners’ experiences of the National Further Education and Training (FET) Learner Forum. Our findings show that the vast majority of learners saw the Forum as a positive experience for them.
Giving learners a say in their education is key to improving outcomes and strengthening communities. A new model developed through an Erasmus+ project offers stakeholders a clear roadmap for embedding Learner Voice at every level.
European partners meet in Linz to drive forward the ENHANCE project and embed Learner Voice at every level of adult education.
Irish human rights campaign and activist Caoimhe Butterly spoke to us recently about joy, education, and culture as a form of resistance in the face of current world events, particularly the genocide in Palestine and the rise of fascism. Caoimhe has spent over twenty years working in humanitarian and social justice contexts around the world. She is a trained psychotherapist and works to help with trauma for migrants and refugees fleeing violence and persecution, and with Schools of Sanctuary Ireland, in primary and secondary schools.
In March 2025, the European Commission adopted the “Union of Skills”, a five-year strategy with the goal of enabling education and training systems in Europe that will allow everyone to “access education, lifelong learning, quality jobs and navigate transitions and crises”.
Learner Voice continues to be at the heart of AONTAS’ work as we pursue our vision of educational equality for all adult learners. Over the past year, our Learner Voice Project Officer Karyn Farrell and I have developed and delivered Learner Voice training across the country.
We at AONTAS believe in eliminating discrimination and promoting equality when it comes to education and public service in Ireland, both for staff and for adult learners. With this in mind, an important focus for us is Public Sector Duty. But what does Public Sector Duty mean, and why does it matter?
For the past few years, we’ve been travelling across the country to shed light on local educational initiatives that are at the heart of the wellbeing and development of their communities. We do this so that the grassroots adult education providers are listened to and supported in their efforts to uplift and strengthen their communities.
A look back at “From Politics to People”, our Adult Learners' Festival 2025 Policy Discussion on Monday 3 March. This event brought together AONTAS members, adult learners, and policy makers to demonstrate to the new Government that community education is the policy solution they need in response today’s societal challenges.
The STAR Awards recognise the very best in adult learning in Ireland. We celebrate and acknowledge the incredible adult learning initiatives going on across the country, in support of learners, as part of the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival. This year, there are 24 fantastic shortlisted initiatives. We’ll announce the winners at a special ceremony in Dublin on Friday 7th March – an exciting event to finish our 2025 Adult Learners’ Festival!
The STAR Awards recognise the very best in adult learning in Ireland. We celebrate and acknowledge the incredible adult learning initiatives going on across the country, in support of learners, as part of the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival. This year, there are 24 fantastic shortlisted initiatives. We’ll announce the winners at a special ceremony in Dublin on Friday 7th March – an exciting event to finish our 2025 Adult Learners’ Festival!
The STAR Awards recognise the very best in adult learning in Ireland. We celebrate and acknowledge the incredible adult learning initiatives going on across the country, in support of learners, as part of the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival. This year, there are 24 fantastic shortlisted initiatives. We’ll announce the winners at a special ceremony in Dublin on Friday 7th March – an exciting event to finish our 2025 Adult Learners’ Festival!
Our Community Education Officer Lorraine O’Connor visits members of the Community Education Network across the country, demonstrating the real impact of their work and the great benefits they bring to local communities.
The STAR Awards recognise the very best in adult learning in Ireland. We celebrate and acknowledge the incredible adult learning initiatives going on across the country, in support of learners, as part of the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival. This year, there are 24 fantastic shortlisted initiatives. We’ll announce the winners at a special ceremony in Dublin on Friday 7th March – an exciting event to finish our 2025 Adult Learners’ Festival!
The STAR Awards recognise the very best in adult learning in Ireland. We celebrate and acknowledge the incredible adult learning initiatives going on across the country, in support of learners, as part of the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival. This year, there are 24 fantastic shortlisted initiatives. We’ll announce the winners at a special ceremony in Dublin on Friday 7th March – an exciting event to finish our 2025 Adult Learners’ Festival!
Aisling Meyler from our Research Team talks about the power of community education in tackling online disinformation, and how telling stories can bring people together. Aisling also gives an insight into a new workbook for community education practitioners that will soon be available from AONTAS.
