AONTAS

Supporting learners to navigate today’s information landscape is an increasingly important aspect of adult and community education.

Last month, AONTAS brought 15 adult and community educators in Sligo together for a training session on recognising and tackling disinformation when working with adult learners.

Larisa Sioneriu, AONTAS EU Projects Coordinator, and Nick Doran, Education and Enterprise Coordinator with Sligo East City and Cranmore Regeneration Project, co-facilitated the workshop.

The session gave educators an opportunity to build knowledge, share experiences and strengthen their capacity to support learners to critically engage with the information they encounter.

The workshop was part of our "On the Road" initiative under NEAAL.

This week, AONTAS CEO Dearbháil Lawless travelled to Strasbourg on behalf of the European Association for the Education of Adults - EAEA to attend the General Assembly of the Conference of INGOs (CINGO) at the Council of Europe.

During an interactive session developing proposals for new education committees, Dearbháil recommended Learner Voice as a key activity.

She also contributed to discussions on urgent action in response to threats to democracy, highlighting the need to protect education in the face of misinformation, de-funding, and threats to civic space.

The visit also included a screening and Q&A with filmmaker Deeyah Khan, discussions on the Civic Space Report, and events marking the CINGO's 50th anniversary.

The discussions will inform AONTAS’s ongoing advocacy for adult and community education and the role of education in supporting democracy, participation and social inclusion.

We are now accepting submissions for the 2027 edition of The Adult Learner Journal. 📖

Founded in 1985, The Adult Learner is the only peer-reviewed journal of adult and community education in Ireland.

This year’s edition will explore how the adult and community education sector is responding to the climate crisis and engaging with issues relating to climate justice.

Learners, first-time writers, and more experienced authors and researchers are all invited to contribute.

The deadline to submit an article is 1st February 2027. Stay tuned for the upcoming writers' workshop announcements.

Read more on how to submit an article ➡️ https://www.aontas.com/research/adult-learner-journal/

The Department of Further and Higher Education Research Innovation & Science has published a new strategy setting out a vision for the future of tertiary education in Ireland.

What does this mean for adult and community education?

AONTAS’s response highlights the need to recognise the wider social and community value of education, and to ensure Learner Voice informs the strategy’s implementation.

Read the full response ➡️ https://www.aontas.com/a-new-strategy-for-tertiary-education-what-this-means-for-adult-learners-community-education/

How does European adult learning policy and practice connect to what’s happening here in Ireland?

The New European Agenda for Adult Learning (NEAAL) brings countries across Europe together to strengthen adult learning, share practice and shape its development through to 2030.

As Ireland’s National Coordinator, AONTAS helps connect this European work with the adult learning sector here — bringing ideas, opportunities and policy developments into our work with learners, educators and organisations.

Last week, our EU Projects Coordinator, Larisa Sioneriu, joined National Coordinators from across Europe in Brussels for the second National Coordinators Meeting.

The meeting explored a range of issues shaping adult learning across Europe, including:

🔹 The Union of Skills, skills portability and Erasmus+ mobility in adult learning
🔹 Career guidance, including Cedefop’s Reference Framework and new research from the PES Network
🔹 The renewed Pact for Skills

Being part of this network gives Ireland an opportunity to learn from approaches across Europe, share our own experience and contribute to the wider conversation about the future of adult learning.

Find out more about NEAAL and AONTAS’ role as Ireland’s National Coordinator ➡️ https://www.aontas.com/a-greener-tomorrow-through-community-education/

"This is my therapy, my feelings that I can show through my creativity," said Evelyn Mason at the launch of her book, "A Rose Over the Sunset," at Cork City Hall earlier this month.

At the launch, which was opened by the Lord Mayor of Cork Damian Boylan Evelyn spoke about the challenges she experienced while facing homelessness and the support she received from Cork Simon Community.

Our Community Education Officer, Lorraine O'Connor, attended the event and wrote her reflections in our latest blog post ➡️ https://www.aontas.com/celebrating-resilience-creativity-community-education-with-cen-member-cork-simon/

What has Bradley, a Learners as Leaders 2026 participant, been up to since completing the programme?

Back in July, we recruited 11 learners to take part in the Learners as Leaders 2026 Programme. Since then, learners like Bradely have been busy planning and delivering projects that make a difference in their communities.

Bradley recently organised a Recovery Café with the The Bridge Project. The successful event attracted a full room of attendees to enjoy food and refreshments in a welcoming and supportive environment.

Bradley also organised a raffle, sourcing prizes from local businesses that generously donated items. During the event, he spoke openly about his own recovery journey, creating a space where others felt comfortable sharing their experiences too.

The Recovery Café is a wonderful example of learner leadership in action, demonstrating how learners can use their experiences, initiative, and passion to bring people together and make a meaningful impact.

Bradley, along with other Learners as Leaders participants, will be attending the AONTAS Education Summit. Be sure to stop by, say hello, and hear more about their projects and experiences firsthand.

Register for the Summit ➡️ https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/the-aontas-adult-education-summit-2026-tickets-1991480251040

It was a great pleasure to welcome Wouter Gorissen and Eddy Demeersseman from Catholic Education Flanders (Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen) on a recent Erasmus+ KA1 visit.

As a membership organisation in Belgium, Catholic Education Flanders works with schools, boarding schools, adult education centres, and colleges and universities.

We particularly enjoyed learning more about their eight adult education centres, the challenges and opportunities they face, and the very interesting EU projects they are involved in.

Thank you, Wouter and Eddy, for the insightful discussions and for sharing your experiences with us.

We look forward to staying connected and exploring opportunities for future collaboration!

Léargas