Cork Celebrates Lifelong Learning Awards 2024

Congratulations to the Early Years Category Winner 2022:

Little Peas Project by BEAG Early Years Arts Programme

Little Peas Project is an innovative early year’s creative ecology project centred around growing and learning. The project has been designed by visual artist Rachel Doolin in collaboration with Irish Seed Savers Association. The project has a strong focus on creativity and play as a tool to foster healthy connections to food, sustainability, and the environment in early learning settings.

Practitioners were supported by the artist to help children nurture and grow their Little Pea plants from seedling to maturity, through to harvesting and saving pea seeds for replanting the following year

Congratulations to the Primary Level Category Winner 2022:

The Glucksman 

Freedom of the City is a creative consultation project created by the Glucksman that enabled over 2000 young people to participate in the consultation phase of the Cork City Development Plan.

Students in Cork city had the opportunity to explore creative approaches to civic life and to express their ideas for a healthier, greener, and more playful city. Digital resources and creative materials were delivered to schools, and the Glucksman provided dedicated workshops for learning communities that needed additional supports, including for young Travellers, children experiencing homelessness and young refugees and asylum seekers.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• Access UCC, PLUS Programme - Schools Outreach Team

Many groups & communities remain underrepresented in third level education. The UCC + Programme strive to redress this imbalance by supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds & under-represented groups. Working with primary and secondary schools, they provide motivational and educational assistance to DEIS students & marginalised groups throughout their education.

• Yellow Flag Programme - Le Cheile SPC & St Mary's on the Hill

While the work of the Yellow Flag programme is multi-cultural it is heavily weighted towards the Traveller students as the number of Traveller students in the school is high. The programme works with the students themselves, their parents and local Traveller advocacy groups.

The programme has hugely contributed to the value and importance placed on education and has significantly increased the engagement of parents.

Our 2022 'Roll Of Honour' also includes:

• AMDIE - ANAHUAC MEXICAN DANCE IRELAND

Congratulations to the Primary Level Category Joint Winner 2022:

• Bishopstown Community School ISL Inclusion & ISL Song Club

The Irish Sign Language (ISL) song club promotes inclusivity and communication between the deaf and hearing students at Bishopstown Community School (BCS). All students at BCS learn sign language from 1st year and members of the ISL song club voluntarily continue to learn ISL through song. The club feel it is important to be able to express basic greetings and salutations to everyone in the school, regardless of hearing ability which has helped to breakdown communication barriers between students at BCS.

Congratulations to the Primary Level Category Joint Winner 2022:

• St Vincent's Secondary School Yellow Flag Student Committee

Over the course of three years, this group of dedicated students have established a committee and a culture in their school that stands to survive their tenure in the school. With the aim of promoting human rights, celebrating diversity and culture, and combating racism, the committee has been behind the organising of fundraisers, information campaigns, guest speakers, and events that celebrate the heritage of a multicultural school community. These latter have included Traveller Pride Week, Autism Awareness Week, LGBTQI+ Stand Up Awareness Week, and Eid al-Fitr. The actions of the committee were guided by the programmes of two organisations, the Yellow Flag Programme for diversity and inclusion, and UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award. At the end of the 21/22 school year the school was awarded both the Yellow Flag and the Gold RRSA accreditations. It was the first secondary school in Ireland to achieve the UNICEF award.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• Cork Life Centre

The Cork Life Centre is a voluntary organisation that offers a second chance at education to early-school leaves. They cater for young people between the ages of 12-18 years who for various reasons have not thrived in a mainstream educational setting. The Centre and its staff offer students 1:1 tuition in the core Junior and Leaving Cert subjects and support them in their preparation for these State Exams. Their approach to education is a holistic one and they value the social education of young people as much as the academic. They endeavour to provide students with an open and accepting environment in which to encourage them to reach their full potential; to learn vital social and life skills; to develop positive and trusting relationships with peer and staff and to support them with issues and challenges they may face through the provision of counselling and through outreach work.

• Rang Corca Dhuibhne, Colaiste Daibhéid

Rang Corca Dhuibhne were tasked with promoting aspects of the culture of the school with the wider community and decided to spread the use of conversational Irish in their locality across the city centre.

They asked local business what would help them to get customers to try to use some Irish in their businesses or for themselves to use more Irish. It was obvious that most saw it as a school subject and were a little afraid of their level of Irish not being good enough. With that in mind they wanted to spread positivity around the use of the language and designed a sign for shops to have with some simple everyday phrases.

Their approach was simple yet effective. As a group, who had emerged form a period of a lot of isolation throughout covid, they were mature & organised in going out to the community and engaging with them. As teenagers this is an excellent quality to see.

Congratulations to the Youth & Community Category Winner 2022:

Joan Denise Moriarty school of Dance

This School of Dance aims to provide dance training of an excellent standard tailored to help each individual student reach their potential in a creative, stimulating and committed environment – making dancing accessible to all and instilling a lifelong love of dance. There is an open policy in the school where everyone is welcome. It is more than a parade or a festival, it’s a community project that has involved thousands of participants over many years, including many community groups, bringing confidence and enjoyment to each participant.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• 'To Be Who We Are' Traveller Creative Engagement Project

Theatre- maker Eszter Neìmethi has facilitated a participatory process with over 30 Traveller children across 4 groups from the north-west area of the city. These workshops have been guided by the interests of the children involved, supporting the expression of their own creativity, and individuality and exploring what their culture means to them. The projects are participant-led, with the children informing decision-making, from artist selection through to activities undertaken. Participants have been consulted throughout the process, including to decide how they would like the work they undertake to be shared to the wider community.

• Musical Neighbourhoods

Musical Neighbourhoods was formed in 2021 to support lifelong music learning in local neighbourhoods. This group of three music education providers (Creative Tradition, GMC Beats at the Kabin and Music Mash Up) under the title of Musical Neighbourhoods, creates music making opportunities in the Northwest of the city for ALL members of the community. Their ethos of open musical exchange for community engagement is inspiring.

Launching at Cork Lifelong Learning Festival 2021, Musical Neighbourhoods now provides intergenerational, inclusive traditional music sessions with Creative Tradition

open jam sessions (music of all genres) weekly traditional concert series at Hollyhill Library with visiting artists.

Our 2022 'Roll Of Honour' for this category also includes:

• The Young Print Collective
• The Kabin Studio
• SHIFT- Sexual Health Information For Teens by the Sexual Health Centre

Congratulations to the Higher Education Category Winner 2022:

• Soar Project, Community based Mentoring Programme

The SOAR Project Community Based Mentoring Programme is a collaborative initiative developed by UCC, MTU Cork, Cork City Learning Neighbourhoods and Cork Migrant Centre.

Recognising that one-to-one community-based mentoring already exists informally within communities whereby individual community members provide a positive and encouraging influence on others and in doing so provide critical support to learners. This accredited programme provided formal recognition of Mentors, building their capacity, and equipping them with additional skills, theory, and knowledge.

Believing in genuine partnership, all aspects of module design and content was co-constructed with community partners and Mentors. Inputs from Access staff from UCC, MTU and FE staff generated point-of-contact links and increased awareness of the full breadth of supports available and strengthen HE and FE - community links.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• Willie Weir nominated by Maria Keane for their leadership in Lifelong Learning over many decades

Willie Weir has worked at ACE, UCC for the last 32 years. Even though Willie is now in his eighties, his passion, energy, and enthusiasm for adult education in higher education has never waned:

In spring 2022, Willie was a key member of the ACE team that developed a short course aimed at providing a university experience for displaced students from Ukraine. Willie quickly assumed the role of fundraiser and raised significant funds so that this course could be offered free of charge and also so that the 100+ students could engage in social outings around Cork. The delivery of this course would not have been possible without Willie.

• UCC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Microcred Team 

The School of Applied Social Studies produced a new module, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awareness for Health, Social Care and Education Professionals, which was delivered as one of the new UCC 'Microcredentials' modules promoting lifelong learning and continuing professional development. The module, delivered through UCC ACE, was created collaboratively by 16 academic and research staff members, addressing four key themes: race and racism; genders and sexualities; disabilities, neurodiversity and mental health, and age and ageism. The course content is informed by cutting-edge social scientific research on state-of-the-art conceptual, theoretical, and practice-oriented knowledge, delivered to students in a way that is accessible, relevant, and transformative. Each student worked with an expert mentor to devise and implement a practice intervention in their chosen topic, the key goals being the advancement of anti-discriminatory practice and the promotion of social justice in their personal lives, professional organisations, and in society more broadly. The School of Applied Social Studies has a strong reputation for promoting lifelong learning and this latest offering evidences its commitment to supporting critical practice inquiry amongst adult learners through innovative modes of engagement and delivery.

Our 2022 'Roll Of Honour' for this category also includes:

• Emma Buckley, nominated by Breda O’Mahony for her Lifelong Learning efforts
• Deborah Oniah nominated by Maria Keane for her Lifelong Learning efforts
• Adult Education Centre, UCC
• Lyndsey El Amoud, UCC nominated by Paul McSweeney for demonstrating a real commitment to ACE and to Lifelong Learning.
• Seamus O’Tuama, UCC nominated by Paul McSweeney for being a senior leader in higher education over many decades

Congratulations to the Further Education Category Winner 2022:

• Collaborative Project – HSE & Cork College of FET, Douglas St Campus.

This project is a wonderful example of collaboration and learning between HSE and Douglas Street Campus. An HSE OPAT nurse Liz Forde based in Mercy University Hospital together with Deirdre McCann, Course Co-Ordinator in Douglas Street Campus, working together with their teams devised an innovative learning experience for Creative Digital Media students to produce a valuable interactive animation to support patients of HSE OPAT Services team.

The project included an animated info video with voice-over and 3 separate interview videos with a consultant and OPAT nurses explaining their service. During the year there was continual engagement between students, HSE and college teams. The project included dry run interviews on-site in MUH, 3 final recordings, a voice-over recording, script writing, storyboarding, creation of graphics and assets, followed by animation and video editing.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• Anne Gabriel YAA, Art Teacher nominated for creating an accessible, inclusive, and welcoming learning space for all.

During the pandemic Anne was constantly engaging with students, her passion and dedication never changed. Artists were encouraged to paint every week and she designed a weekly gallery through email displaying creations from all age groups. While there wasn’t a classroom presence, she was still reaching out to help. Her positive approach and enthusiasm for art is admirable and this was done for months cost free. Anne encouraged everybody to enter art competitions and believe in their own potential She inspired students to visit galleries, museums, art exhibitions, and libraries and has opened minds to a new way of thinking. Her commitment to students has been a life learning experience for each artist.

• ASEM Lifelong Learning Hub

The ASEM LLL Hub is an official network of Asian and European higher education institutions, working and learning together to achieve excellence in comparative research on lifelong learning, to offer research-based education policy recommendation, and to develop mutual understanding between Asia and Europe. It facilitates researcher and student mobility and exchange within and between the two world regions. The ASEM LLL Hub provides a platform for dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and policy makers in order to contribute to evidence-based educational reform and innovation.

Congratulations to the Adult Education - Community Education Category Winner 2022:

• Clean Slate Cork – Collaboration between Cork Alliance Centre & UCC

CLEAN SLATE CORK research project was set up to better understand how ‘Life After Prison’ is experienced. Different from other research projects, CLEAN SLATE is ‘peer-to-peer’ research, based on principles of participatory action research. Rather than academics researching about the lived experience of navigating life after prison, CLEAN SLATE trained men with lived prison experience to document and analyse their own experiences of life after prison and to research other peers’ experiences.

Peer researchers were trained in the foundations of research ethics; the purpose of social research; the analysis of biographical narratives; analytical and self-reflective writing; conducting biographical mapping and designing walks; designing interview guides; conducting social-research interviews; communicating research findings and writing policy recommendations. The peer-researchers’ learning has produced a rich variety of research outputs which will be shortly available on www.cleanslatecork.com. These outputs include biographical walking maps of Cork City; interactive google-maps; digital photo-essays of people’s lives after prison in Cork City; a thematic analysis of interview findings with 13 peers in Cork City who have prison experience in their biographies.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• The Dillon’s Cross Project

Over the past 27 years the DXP has provided a unique Lifelong Learning model that supports female relatives of prisoners and ex-prisoners. It adopts a learner-centred approach which evolves based on learners' needs. This innovativeness is evidenced by new initiatives introduced in 2021:

- The introduction of a new peer-led Red Cross programme promoting health and wellbeing of learners, their families, and the community. This includes modules in first aid, hygiene promotion, as well as hosting information sessions on mental health, sexual health, and breast check.

- The introduction of a sports taster series in collaboration with Cork Sports Partnership.- The introduction of Lámh, a sign-language system course.

- The new Glen Arts Project for the local community, who engage in art/craft/cooking activities.

- Training of teachers in delivery of barista machine and purchase of machine

• Mayfield Learning Neighbourhood

The Mayfield Learning Neighbourhood organised the first innovative programme entitled 'Neighbourhood University' in conjunction with its partners MTU and UCC & the Learning Neighbourhood Coordinator. This is the first programme of its kind that involved both 3rd level organisations in the provision of 7 free lectures in 7 different subjects, provided by 7 volunteer lecturers, delivered in the Mayfield CDP Community Resource centre in Mayfield.

• Fiona Hagensen – Social Integration & Participation Manager, Cork Simon Community 

Cork Simon’s Education and Training programme was established in May 2010. This project is the brainchild of Fiona Hagensen. Over the years the programme has facilitated and supported 1,000s of people in Cork City who are currently or formerly homeless or at risk of homelessness to access education, training, and employment opportunities. The programme is tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual and to support their personal choices, skills development, employment activation and reintegration into the wider community in Cork.

The project addresses barriers such as long-term unemployment, literacy issues or a lack of qualifications. The team helps organise and arrange appropriate training, offering encouragement and advice to each person along the way. The service aims to engage people accessing our services in education, training, employment, and personal development.

Our 2022 'Roll Of Honour' for this category also includes:

• RPL Extended Campus and BA Community Development Programme, MTU
• Gay Project: Drag school with Mia Gold
• Horticulture LTI
• READ WRITE NOW, Ballyphehane Presentation School
• Learning Neighbourhoods, UCC
• Togher Community Gardeners
• DASH -Drugs, Alcohol and Sexual Health mobile unit
• Leadership in the Community Programme, ACE, UCC
• Diploma in Youth and Community Work, ACE, UCC
• Ukrainian Women’s Support Group participant, Alina nominated by Voyteck Bialek
• South Parish Learning Neighbourhoods
• Welcome English / Immigrant Centre

Congratulations to the Adult Education - Workplace Learning Category Winner 2022:

• Munster Technological University RPL Team 

Throughout the period 2021- 2022, MTU continued its commitment to supporting lifelong learning. In light of the continuing Covid pandemic, MTU amended its Recognition of Prior Learning supports to provide accessible information through online workshops to engage with learners and help them with RPL queries and applications.

The ongoing mentoring support for learners with RPL throughout the period resulted in MTU creating non-standard and advanced entry opportunities for learners across its disciplines which enabled people to enter and re-enter higher education building on the learning they had already acquired through the workplace, voluntary activities, and other relevant learning.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• St Michael’s School, Blackrock

St Michael's Church of Ireland National School is a small school with a big heart. The school work centres around core values of care, kindness, and inclusion. Lifelong Learning Approaches over 2021/22 include: Creative and innovative use of the built, natural, and local environment, supporting learning at intergenerational and whole school community levels, using experience and knowledge especially in the area of inclusion to support the learning of other organisations at local, national, and international level. Practical examples include: adapting innovative approaches like low arousal and co-regulation to meet the wellbeing needs of all, designing a bespoke professional supervision and coaching model of sustained support to meet the learning needs of all staff, webinars for parents in the area of inclusion and neurodiversity awareness.

Congratulations to the Active Retired Category Winner 2022:

• Mahon Family Resource Centre

Mahon Family Resource Centre has for years operated as a place of community support for all generations offering resources from childcare to retired residents’ groups.

There is a strong commitment to providing supports for people at every stage of their lives, with an emphasis on facilitating older people as there is a strong community of local individuals who have been attending different groups in the centre for years.

There are upskilling classes available in the centre such as art classes, pottery classes, flower arranging, adult Literature classes and many classes that run throughout the year on a 6-week basis. There is a commitment to providing support to individuals such as counselling, carers group, alcohol support group and mindfulness classes.

The Family Resource Centre is a community development-based project whose aims are to promote participation, self-help, and development, specifically regarding community support.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• Young at Heart Echo Inter-Generational Quiz

Young at Heart / Echo Inter-Generational Quiz is now an annual firm favourite with all schools, colleges and communities who take part in this unique event.

Each team comprises of two seniors and two Transition Year students from all over the city and county. This battle of wits between young and old attracts a huge turnout.

The combined knowledge of the different generations produces a powerful battle of wits as communities pitch their skills and knowledge. Competition and ambition meet fun and laughter.

• Roches Building Resource Centre

Our 2022 'Roll Of Honour' for this category also includes:

• Step up to your Health, Douglas Young at Heart
• Douglas Young @ Heart, Care - Ring Call
• Mahon Family Resource Centre
• Mary Keohane Chairperson Waterloo Renewal Group

Congratulations to the Exceptional Endeavour Category Winner 2022:

• Food Fund, Terence McSwiney Community College & ForóigeKnocknaheeny

They are a group of 5 transition year students from Terence McSwiney Community College. A DEIS school who recognised that as DEIS schools get a daily delivery of hot food for each student that there was an unavoidable amount of meals going to waste each day. They group set up a social enterprise where they set out to manage the waste in a more sustainable way and decided to donate all leftover meals Sandwiches and fruit to Penny dinners Cork. The leftover food was normally dumped in landfill. The group also canvassed support for the Idea with local primary schools and they now collect from 4 schools daily in the Northwest area of Knocknaheeny, Churchfield and Blarney Street. To date they have donated 9,000 meals 5,000 pieces of fruit and 4,500 sandwiches.

This is a demanding daily effort and the group roster and manage the collection even if they are on a day off. They have been supported in the development of an App by Apple computer where they can monitor, manage, and market the project with the aim of launching the Food Fund and enabling other schools nationally to mirror their effort.

The group identified early on that by providing food to those in need that they were not only avoiding food waste and contributing to landfill site but were helping in addressing food poverty in their community and beyond. The students all live in Knocknaheeny a community with many social issues and know that with cost-of-living increases that many families are struggling. Some of the students have volunteered at Penny Dinners in Churchfield and they know what this valuable service Penny Dinner is for those vulnerable and families in need.

The Shortlisted nominations in this category were:

• Ms Carolyn Miller 

Carolyn's voluntary contribution to the Togher summer camps, Tidy Towns, Learning Neighbourhood, parents’ associations and Carolyn’s latest project, the Togher Market, has many positive spin offs for the Togher Community. She has brought people together giving a more inclusive sense of belonging to all in the community.

• Old Cork Waterworks Experience

The project team at Old Cork Waterworks undertook the funding, organization, and delivery of the 2022 Cork Carnival of Science. The two-day event was held at Fitzgerald Park on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th June. This free event was the largest outdoor STEAM engagement event in Ireland and attracted an audience of circa 25,000 over the course of the weekend.

Cork Carnival of Science is designed to offer multi-generational engagement opportunities with the sciences in a non-formal and easily accessible environment. The event featured over 200 personnel, two circus big tops, 30 marquees and gazebos, 24 pop up activities, food stalls and live music.

Activities included sit down shows, hands on workshops and drop-in activity stands, the combination of which ensured ease of engagement in a relaxed and no pressure environment.

• "Welcome to Ireland: An Introduction to Student Life in Ireland": programme at ACE, UCC

As an endeavour, this was a totally unique programme. The war in Ukraine has presented some of the most horrific circumstances for Ukrainian students and this programme was offered as an opportunity to do something positive to help ease the pressures from their traumas. An integral commitment was to allow an opportunity for the students to engage with and communicate with peers, as well as receive answers to their most pressing questions. This was achieved when the Ukrainian students spent the first week of the course together with 8 students from the Department of Applied Social Studies and UCC Students’ Union. These sessions helped to form an atmosphere of trust and relieve tension at the very beginning. The course also contains practical information, and the students, being in a foreign country, felt the support and empathy of their new Irish friends at UCC. We believe they have become more self-confident and better oriented in a new environment. Empathy was a key factor in the programme as none of us could totally understand the anguish these Ukraine citizens have faced. To offer a programme that sheds some positivity into their lives within the realm of education was an empowering experience.
The course can be presented as a haven in the educational sense, a need which was unjustly taken from them. The feedback from the students has been very positive and lecturers have commented that the students were very engaged in each session. We also received feedback from host families that the course had a very positive impact on their guests. Some of those who applied but were not able to attend due to transport, accommodation or childcare needs have been offered copies of course materials, such as lecture notes, helpful website links etc. We have created a database to store and share the content which we hope will be of some benefit. The course is having a significant ripple effect of positivity, togetherness, and collaboration. UCC provided teaching spaces for the course delivery. Digital support for students was supported with electronic simultaneous translation of lectures into Ukrainian. Colleagues in our Disability Support Services ensured that lecturers received training on how to make Ukrainian subtitles visible for all lecture sessions. In addition, they provided a helpful session with students at the start of the lecture series to brief them on the using technology to enhance communication. The programme coordinator for Diploma in Social and Psychological Health facilitated a session for UCC staff on ‘Understanding Trauma and the needs of Students fleeing War’. ACE’s Business Ambassador received donations from many organisations in Cork, which included lunches for students, transport, excursions, and souvenirs for the student group. The biggest contributor to this course is the volunteer work of the University academics and UCC Students Union, who took the time during the busy examination period to provide a unique opportunity for Ukrainian refugees to learn more about Ireland and student life here.

Our 2022 'Roll Of Honour' for this category also includes:

• Jim McKeon nominated by Sean De Barra
• Fahmeda Naheed
• Douglas Kurling Group

Brendan Goggin – Citizen Learner

Brendan Goggin has been a consistent and inspirational leader in Corks development as a Learning City, making a significant contribution in many roles over the course of his career and since his retirement.  As Registrar in Cork Institute of Technology, he was a member of the Working Group that developed ‘Cork as a Learning City’ - a strategy in Imagine our Future 2002-2012 This provided the foundation for the Lifelong Learning Festival in 2004, the UNESCO Learning City Award achieved in 2015 and all of the initiatives and projects that seek to deliver on this vision ever since. Post retirement Brendan served a key member of the Cork Learning City Steering Group for the UNESCO International Conference in 2017 and continued as an active learner, mentor and teacher in his local Learning Neighbourhood in Mayfield.  Brendan, through his consistent inspirational example, has provided us with the model of a ‘Citizen Learner’ and is richly deserving of this Award.