Congratulations to all groups that participated in this year's Adult Learners' Festival!

Due to current circumstances our closing event was held online. You can watch the replay here

Welcome to the Adult Learner Festival 2020!

“The Adult Learner Festival is a nationwide celebration of Adult Learning. The festival offers groups, organisations or venues the chance to have a positive impact in their community or workplace, promoting the value of lifelong learning, reinforce existing partnerships in the community and establish new ones.” AONTAS

 The theme we chose for this year’s festival is: “Saving the planet together”

In Kildare 6 groups are participating in the Festival and will showcase their projects from 2.03 – 06.03.2020 in their local communities.

Please see below for more information on the community goups, their projects and event dates. The events are free to attend and everyone’s welcome!

adult learner festival 2020 kildare

the Project Groups

Athy: Women's Activity Group Athy WAGA

“Make new from old – Don’t dispose” Upcycling project

Event: 04.03.2020 at 11am in the Library, Athy

Our group

Women’s activity group Athy has been in operation for approximately 8 years. Consisting of 9 to 12 women ranging in age from 30 to 70.

We meet up weekly for various crafts; we are mostly self-sufficient regarding crafts but occasionally will invite a craftsperson in for an exhibition or tutoring.

We go on trips a few times during the year, eg. Summer garden trip or theatre/show.

 

Our project

After several debates and false starts we decided on an upcycled/recycled garden.

The aim of this project is to try and encourage people to re-use instead of putting everything in the bin.

Quite an amount of household items can be re used to benefit our gardens.

Bird houses, bird feeders, plant pots and quite a lot more can be simply and easily created using household recyclable items.

Everything used in our project would have been placed in the recycle bin or refuse bin.

We hope the general public will come to see our exhibition in the library and possibly take home some ideas to use themselves or teach their children.

 

Contact

Geraldine O Neill contact details: gerengoneill@hotmail.com

Wendy Warrick contact details: wjwarrick@yahoo.ie

Celbridge: ShareRing Skills

“Working Together to Save the Planet “– film making for Environmental Awareness

Event: 05.03.2020 at 7pm in the Community Library Mezzanine, Celbridge

Quotes from the participants:

 “Course has given me the opportunity to connect with other like-minded people and become aware of our responsibility and place in the environment”  Sam Cowden

“ Very good experience, learned a lot, met new people and really interested in film making, next time, count me in!”  Sarah Jane Lavin

Our group

A visual arts/craft community focused group of volunteers. We aim to connect the community through creativity and social interaction. We are a diverse, inclusive, open group welcoming people of all abilities. We offer a permanent drop-in session in Celbridge Community Library weekly Mondays 10 – 12 noon. We offer art and craft in an affordable way through sharing skills, in a fun and creative environment. We provide cross-community opportunities for inclusion and development of creative expression, storytelling. 

 

Our project

environment awareness – creativity storytelling – enjoying responsibility

In an original viewpoint, SRS facilitates the telling the story of a community response and engagement with climate change and biodiversity crisis. 

 

Contact

Ailís Aylward 087 927 1583 

shareringskills19@gmail.com

Facebook @ShareRingSkillsCelbridge

Kilcullen: Camphill Kilcullen Day Services with Grangebeg

 “Recycle all you can” project

Event: 03.03.2020 at 10:30 at the Camphill Recycling Station, the Bridge Community Kilcullen

Quotes about the project experience:

“Its’ been an excellent project.”

“It’s been great to be involved in these sessions, a good experience for me.”

Our group

A group of like-minded adults who attend Camphill’s day services. We are passionate about art, recycling and the environment.

 

Our project

The creation of banners, with environmental messages, that highlight the importance of caring for our natural environment. The banners are made of recycled material and one was hand dyed. They are to be mounted around the nature trail at Camphill Kilcullen, which is open to and widely utilised by the public. Our existing recycling facilities have been upgraded and local schools invited to view same and with us start a conversation on recycling. This is support by Daragh Wyle, Environmental Officer at Kildare County Council, who is to give a talk to us and the school groups on what can be recycled.

 

Contact

Camphill the Bridge, Day Services 087 9944729 and 086 9191680

Maynooth: Larine Hub

“Green Living” project

Event: 03.03.2020 at 10am -12pm  at the Maynooth Library with visit to the Garden – Joint event with the Maynooth Women’s group

Our group

Larine HUB supports people who experience mental health difficulties to live their lives based on their own personal goals. the service offers a range of supports to enable each person to live a more healthy, fulfilling and independent life. We support individuals to get involved in their community and develop their natural supports. This is achieved through a combination of centre and community modules and activities. 

 

Our project

“Larine, A Sustainable Journey into the Future”

Throughout the programme we were exploring and sometimes challenging current world view, understanding systemic challenges and exploring practical ways to address some of these issues in our everyday life. We looked at how to reclaim some decision power and responsibility in everyday decisions such as production systems and how to spot real solutions, fake solutions and greenwashing.

We also explored the idea of consumerism and how to take a step back and analyse our needs and wants; then generate ideas on how to address them with proper care for the Earth as a factor in decision-making waste culture and how to reduce waste output in homes and the whole centre.

As a group we discussed recycling correctly and how to do that in an effective way, energy production and reducing energy use how to set up a wormery and its benefits and home tips for self production of everyday objects, cleaning, toiletries.

 

Contact

EVE Larine HUB, 

Doctors Lane, 

Maynooth, 

Co. Kildare 

Phone: 01 6289465 

email: larine@eve.ie

Maynooth: Maynooth Women's Group

“Food Sustainability” project

Event: 03.03.2020 at 10am -12pm  at the Maynooth Library with visit to the Garden – Joint event with the EVE Larine Maynooth

 

Quotes from participants:

“This project has really opened my eyes to the importance of sustainable food, from the crucial role that soil plays and the need to take care of it, to the importance of seed saving and sharing to ensure that everyone has access to food.” Madeleine

Our group

Maynooth Women’s Group (2012 to present) is an informal group of women of all ages who meet on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays monthly in Maynooth Public library. We endeavour to create a warm, friendly, supportive and inclusive atmosphere where everyone feels at home. We are always delighted to welcome new faces. We organise social outings and occasional trips away. Our interest in learning together has led to our participation in various courses with the support of KWETB.   Our involvement in the Adult Learners Festival, 2020 ‘Saving the Planet Together’ has been our most engaging course to date.

 

Our project

Our objective is to explore growing food organically and sustainably.  The cultivation and production of food, from a tiny seed to a fully-grown crop, is proving to be a valuable learning experience for each of us. Through the kindness of the Eve Larine community who have provided us with a raised bed in their garden area, we have been able to pursue our objective. Our project emphasises how sustainable and organic food can be produced through simple methods.  Our green print proposal for Maynooth is for edible gardens, tended by and benefitting the people in our community.

 

Contact

Kathleen Cunningham caitorourke@gmail.com

 

Newbridge: Newbridge Women's Group

“Women Inspiring Community” Upcycling  project

Event: 04.03.2020 at 2 – 4pm  at the Newbridge Library

Quotes from Participants:

‘”I enjoyed the challenge of up-cycling old clothes to reuse as an alternative to plastic bags.”
“I got great satisfaction from sharing ideas with the group, seeing the finished product and from developing my sewing skills.”
“It felt really good collaborating and working as a team”

Our group

Newbridge Women’s Group was established in 2008. The group members come from very diverse backgrounds both culturally and economically. We meet Wednesdays from 7.30pm to 9.30pm in the KWETB Youth Training Centre. Previously we have organised courses as diverse as Women’s Studies, Personal Development, Creative Writing. Mindfulness and Healthy Eating. We are a small friendly group who also enjoy organising social events.

For the past few months, Newbridge Women’s Group, in association with KWETB, have taken on the challenge of making “Share Bags” from recycled material. We have been sewing and weaving, turning old clothes into reusable bags.

 

Our project

Women making share-bags

Inspiring our community

Reshaping our planet

 

Share Bags is about making bags, recycling material, starting conversations, connecting with each other, fostering sustainable behaviour, and having fun! The handmade reusable fabric bags act to bring about positive change, with the social and environmental impacts extending well beyond simply replacing plastic bags.

The Share Bags will;

· Help minimise waste both in landfill and in the natural environment

· Reduce the demand for new fabric

· Upcycling and Reusing old clothing

· Producing sustainable recycled handmade alternatives to plastic bags

· Sharing the bags within the community in as sustainable way

Shifting society’s throw-away mentality to a more sustainable revolution of repurposing and re-use!

 

Contact

Kitty Hayes 087 213 8792