Maynooth University’s Department of Adult and Community Education has won a national STAR award for third level access and engagement from Aontas, the national adult learning organisation.
The winners were announced at the closing ceremony of the Aontas Adult Learners Festival week in Croke Park. Aontas promotes the value and benefits of adult learning, and advocates on behalf of the sector.
The award was accepted on behalf of the winning project ComMUniversity by its director, Dr Derek Barter: “The ComMUniversity Partnership is unique in its approach to access in the way it reaches into local communities, bringing academics as public intellectuals into contact with people in their local neighbourhoods to inform, debate and learn together,” he said.
About Maynooth University
Maynooth University is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. It is located in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. It is Ireland’s youngest university, having been founded by the Universities Act, 1997 from the secular faculties of the now separate St Patrick’s College, Maynooth, which was founded in 1795.
Maynooth University’s Department of Adult and Community Education (DACE) is the only specialist academic department for the education of adults in Ireland. We have been working with adults for 40 years. In that time we have worked with thousands of people who are living proof that one is never too old to learn. We have a range of courses designed to cater to the needs and wants of people from all walks of life and all educational backgrounds; from people who left school with no formal qualifications and are seeking to re-enter formal education; to those who have completed degrees and post-graduate degrees to doctorate level programmes and who are seeking Continuing Professional Development and Improved Practice.
More than anything else students who have undertaken our courses comment on the transformative nature of the discipline. Adult Education is a powerful tool for personal, organisational and societal change. Some of the methods used include small group discussion based learning where students are encouraged to engage with the subject or a problem by bringing the full extent of their own knowledge and experience to deepen the level of critical analysis. Skilled Adult Education facilitators accompany the group learning process and guide the students towards better understanding their own life world through promoting individual personal reflection. And so Adult Education creates dynamic learning environments in which participation is a key ingredient for exploring real life issues regarding human relationships, social and political issues in terms of social justice, equality, democracy and diversity.
DACE has a long tradition and commitment of providing and developing a wide range of courses both On Campus and at local level. Over the years our Continuing Education programme has grown and developed in response to the changing needs of adult learners. The role of continuing education courses is to provide third level learning opportunities for adults, which are flexible and part-time. Some, such as our Return to Learning courses, are designed particularly for those without previous third level education but who are considering re-entering education at this time of their life or their career. Others answer more direct needs of the individual and society such as our Addiction Studies or Community Development and Leadership courses. Our Training and Continuing Education certificate (Level 7) has become widely recognised as the Train the Trainer course par excellence. All of our courses are underpinned by a belief that adults learn best when the learning and courses are meaningful, relevant, accessible and applicable.
Wherever you start you will find that there are paths to progression onto other courses across a wide variety of academic disciplines. So whether you are looking to increase your career prospects by gaining a university qualification or you are just curious about the world in which we live, we’ve got just the course to capture your imagination!
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