“These people are planting the seeds, they’re changemakers. This is a transformative project.” That’s according to an adult learner speaking about “The Whidden Workshops: It’s Kushti to Rokker,” an initiative that links people from Traveller and Roma communities with peers from their own communities to help increase access to university.
This project was just one of ten adult learning initiatives that were recognised at the annual AONTAS STAR Awards on Friday, 10th March, at a celebration ceremony in Croke Park in Dublin. Established in 2006, AONTAS’ STAR Awards acknowledge adult learning groups and projects that are really making an impact on people’s lives and in communities across the island of Ireland.
This year, 26 projects were nominated across five categories: Health and Wellbeing; Third-level Access and Engagement; Social Inclusion; Global Citizenship Education; and Learner Voice. The event was hosted by Irish international footballers Stephanie Roche and Áine O’Gorman, and kicked off with music from the Forever Young Chorus from Finglas.
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Irish footballer Áine O’Gorman, AONTAS CEO Dearbháil Lawless, Irish footballer Stephanie Roche
Speaking at the event, O’Gorman spoke about the links between sports and education: “When you get out of your comfort zone, that’s when you grow and develop … Sport brings everyone together. It gives people opportunities. It’s the same with education.”
Here is a full list of the winners:
- St. Vincent’s Centre Stand Up to Climate Change, winner of the Global Citizenship Education category. This programme for people with intellectual disabilities uses interpretative dance to explore the impact of environmental issues on everyone.
- Whidden Workshops: It’s Kushti to Rokker, winner of the Third-level Access and Engagement This initiative, meaning “The Chatting Workshops: It’s Good to Talk”, links people from Traveller and Roma communities with others from their own communities who help with accessing university and offer support during a university course.
- Sailing Into Wellness, supported by Waterford Wexford ETB, winner of the Health and Wellbeing (Small/Medium) category. Sailing Into uses sailing and the sea to support people in their recovery from addiction and poor mental health.
- Special Olympics Ireland – Health Promotion Programme, winner of the Health and Wellbeing (Large) category. Special Olympics Ireland helps athletes with intellectual disabilities to learn about nutrition and wellbeing, among other skills, which has a great impact on their quality of life.
- Digi Money, Advice NI, winner of the Social Inclusion (Small/Medium) category. Digi Money is a programme that helps people seeking refuge in Ireland to develop digital skills, who can then share their learning in digital skills sessions with others from their communities.
- An Cosán’s Workability programme, winner of the Social Inclusion (Large) category. Workability providing transferable skills for flexible employment, addressing problems of low education and high unemployment in underserviced and marginalised communities.
- The Liberties Weavers project, winner of the Learner Voice (Small/Medium) category. The Liberties Weavers, supported by City of Dublin Education and Training Board, encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to learn the craft of weaving and create new, beautiful handmade textiles that reflect 21st-century lives.
- DAVINA Project in Dublin, winner of the Learner Voice (Large) category. An initiative of the SAOL Project, DAVINA helps women identify abusive behaviour they’ve experienced, heal from trauma, and develop skills to protect themselves from abuse in future relationships
The winners from Start360 Engage Women’s Services Recovery Group
Two projects were also presented with special recognition awards at the event:
- New Futures Online Employability Programme from One Family in Dublin was awarded special recognition for a European Social Fund initiative. The programme empowers lone parents to take advantage of training opportunities and a personalised assessment and action plan.
- Start360 Engage Women’s Services Recovery Group in Antrim was awarded special recognition for Shared Ireland and Peace Building, for their project supporting women connected with the justice system both in custody and in the community. The programme further supports women affected by paramilitarism who face increased community isolation, intimidation and violence.
Speaking about the event, the winners, and the nominees at this year’s STAR Awards, Dearbháil Lawless, Chief Executive of AONTAS, said:
“We’ve been blown away by the standard of nominated projects this year, and by the sheer breadth of different communities that they support across the island of Ireland. Our winners today demonstrate the hugely important role that adult education can play to open up new opportunities and to bring communities together.”
The winners from the Digi Money project, an initiative of Advice NI
The STAR Awards is proudly supported by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), SAOLTA, Mental Health Ireland, Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCN NI), the Open University in Ireland, and the European Social Fund.
AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival 2023
Create Your World
The STAR Awards ceremony marked the culmination of a week-long programme of events for the AONTAS Adult Learners’ Festival. An annual celebration of adult and community learning across the island of Ireland, the theme of this year’s festival was “Create Your World”.
Co-host of the award, Ireland footballer Stephanie Roche said: “It’s fantastic to see so much inspiring work happening in communities right across Ireland helping people to find a new passion or hobby, to build new skills or even to gain new qualifications. There’s so much available through adult education, there really is something for everyone! A huge congratulations to all the winners and to all the nominees of this year’s AONTAS STAR Awards.”
Co-host and teammate, Áine O’Gorman added: “When we think of education, we might automatically think of gaining qualifications and for many, that may be what they want from an adult education course. What we’ve seen from the nominees and winners today, is how many learners also gaining something very personal from adult education – through sport, dance, craft and wellbeing initiatives. Whether that’s a new hobby, meeting new people, or healing from something in their lives. Well done to everyone who’s shared their story!”
#ALF23 #CreateYourWorld
