We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the AONTAS STAR Awards 2025!

The STAR Awards recognise the very best in adult learning in Ireland. This year we are celebrating and acknowledging the incredible adult learning initiatives going on across the country, in support of learners.  

For the 19th AONTAS STAR Awards, we have five categories for adult learning initiatives that support people with:  

• Health and Wellbeing  

• Learner Voice  

• Social Inclusion  

• Global Citizenship Education  

• Third-level Access and Engagement  

The STAR Awards are judged by an independent panel of adult learners, tutors, and other adult learning experts.   

We’re delighted to announce 24 shortlisted initiatives!  

The Shortlisted Adult Learning Initiatives for 2025 are:   

Adult Learning initiatives that support Global Citizenship Education  

• Action for Community Transformation (ACT) – Global Action Plan 

• The Forgotten Women Project, from Gorey to Antarctica – Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board 

• Active citizenship/Voter Education programme – Dublin Adult Learning Centre (DALC)  

• Dignity Partnership 

Adult Learning initiatives that support Health and Wellbeing  

• The Blocks – Rialto Community Drug Team and City of Dublin ETB Community Education programme 

• Community Connections Older Women’s Project – Ballybeen Women’s Centre 

• Integrate Dance Group – Cumas and Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board 

• The Clondalkin Recovery Choir – Clondalkin Drug and Alcohol Task Force 

• Start360 SMART Recovery – Start360 

• Recovery through Art, Drama, and Education – RADE 

Adult Learning initiatives that support Learner Voice  

• Cork Education and Training Board Learner Voices Group 

• Learner Support and Engagement Service – City of Dublin Education and Training Board 

• Voter Education Programme – REHAB 

• Beyond the Barriers – Laois Offaly Education and Training Board  

Adult Learning initiatives that support Social Inclusion  

• Fáilte Isteach: a project of Third Age – Third Age / Fáilte Isteach 

• Ethnic Hands on Deck – Saoirse  

• Cultúr – Cultúr Migrants Centre and Meath Council of Trade Unions

• Great To Train – Cork Simon and Cork Education and Training Board 

• Transformative Journeys for Traveller Women – Laois Offaly Education and Training Board 

• Welcome English Language Centre – WELC  

Adult Learning initiatives that support Third-level Access and Engagement  

• Certificate in Community Studies Special Purpose Award – Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board and South East Technological University (SETU) 

• Change Makers Mentoring Programme – College Connect 

• Cork Prison Addiction Studies Programme – Adult Continuing Education, University College Cork  

• Certificate in Transition to Higher Education – Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) Midwest Access Service  

On the day of the STAR Awards, we will also have two special recognition awards.  

The first is he Open University's "Shooting Star" award, recognising an outstanding project in adult and community education from across the island of Ireland.  

The second award is a European Social Fund (ESF) award recognising initiatives that support equal access to quality education and training, and upskilling, reskilling and lifelong learning. 

For those not shortlisted, you should know that our panel of judges commented on the high quality of all nominations, with entries from a wide range of inspiring and innovative initiatives. It was a difficult decision to agree a shortlist.  

The judging panel will meet each shortlisted group in person before deciding on the overall winners in each category. Best of luck to all!    

More Information  

The STAR Awards is proudly sponsored by the Open University in Ireland and the Open College Network Northern Ireland (OCN NI), Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI), the European Social Fund (ESF), Saolta, EPALE Ireland and Mental Health Ireland.  

We will announce the winners at our STAR Awards ceremony in Dublin on Friday 7th March – an exciting event to finish our 2025 Adult Learners’ Festival! 

The Adult Learners’ Festival, happening this year from 3rd to 7th March, is a nationwide celebration of adult learning. It offers organisations and groups the chance to promote the value and benefits of lifelong learning for communities, families and workplaces. It is a chance for groups to reinforce existing partnerships in the community, and to establish new ones. This year’s Festival theme is Connecting Communities. Find out more details about the Festival. 

We’ll be sharing more details soon about the STAR Awards ceremony soon, so watch this space!  

Click here to take a look back at the STAR Awards 2024 and see last year’s winners.  

For further details contact Rachael Ryan, AONTAS Head of Communications: rryan@aontas.com    

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