Adult Learners’ Festival 2024

Everyday Learning Spaces #FindYourselfHere

The AONTAS Adult Learners' Festival promotes adult education and adult learning across the island of Ireland!

This year, we celebrate safe and supportive learning environments, wherever they may be, with our theme ‘Everyday Learning Spaces – Find Yourself Here’.

An ‘Everyday Learning Space’ is anywhere that adult education happens - not just in classrooms but in libraries, digital hubs, learning pods, online, or learning facilitated in parks or social spaces where people can sit together, eat, and share ideas.

These spaces mean people can learn in a way that suits them, whether through individual reflection, collaboration, or storytelling – or a combination! Learners are the focus and take an active role in shaping these spaces. Everyday learning spaces help people with real-world challenges, whether that is struggling with new technologies; needing to balance learning with caring or other responsibilities; or needing specific support.

Everyday learning spaces are an open call for anyone to “find yourself here.”

Get Involved

Are you working in adult or community education? Are you offering courses or classes in your local area? We encourage you to get involved by hosting an event to celebrate learning and connect with the wider community. Events can be small or large, and could be anything from an online coffee morning or taster session to an organised walk or exhibition. Festival events should not charge an admission fee, and be relevant to adult education.

Submit your event on our searchable Events Calendar to spread the word. The first 100 events that are registered before 26th February 2024 can request a free, posted resource pack. This will have printed posters, pens, bookmarks and flyers to help you celebrate. You can also download graphics to use on your website or social media from https://www.aontas.com/community/adult-learners-festival.

Put up flyers in your local library, post office, café, supermarket or museum and invite people to come to your event! Take a look at our recent information session for more ideas.

We also promote Adult Learners’ Festival events on our social channels and website, and through the media. Last year we reached 5.2 million people!

Use the hashtags #FindYourselfHere #ALF24 #AONTAS

This year, we will also support the first 50 organisations that submit an event with a €50 voucher, which you can use to buy resources or to support learners.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, email us at ALF@aontas.com.

You can also find us on aontas.com or follow our FacebookInstagram, LinkedIn and X/Twitter for the latest updates.

About AONTAS

AONTAS are the National Adult Learning Organisation in Ireland. We are passionate about raising awareness of the benefits of education for everyone, at any time of their lives. We are a membership organisation who fight for equal access to education for everyone, regardless of their experiences. We conduct evidence-based research to support our recommendations for changes to the education system so that everyone has the chance to learn, and keep learning.