Document

AONTAS ADULT LEARNERS’ FESTIVAL 2010

INFORMATION DAY REPORT

©AONTAS – The National Adult Learning Organisation

www.adultlearnersfestival.com | www.aontas.com

The Adult Learners’ Festival 2010 is kindly sponsored by

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Adult Learners’ Festival 2010

Information Day Report

1. THE ADULT LEARNERS’ FESTIVAL

The Adult Learners’ Festival is a nationwide celebration of adult learning coordinated by

AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation. It is about:

Celebrating adult learning and the achievements of adult learners

Showcasing the work of adult education providers

Promoting the work of AONTAS and the adult education sector

Ensuring that adult education is placed firmly on the political agenda

The 2010 Festival takes places from 22 – 26 February and is themed “Better Together”. In the

last three years, the festival has become a firm fixture on the adult learning calendar with

events taking place nationwide, including anything from information sessions, taster

workshops, sample lectures to small gatherings of people who love to learn. Events are

organised by all kinds of organisations throughout the country e.g. VEC, Libraries, Universities,

Museums, Galleries, Workplaces, NGOs and much more!

2. OVERVIEW OF THE ADULT LEARNERS’ FESTIVAL INFORMATION DAY

The Adult Learners’ Festival Information Day was held on Wednesday 20th January 2010 in The

Gresham Hotel in Dublin. The aim of the meeting is to encourage organisations to become

involved in the Festival by organising an event or activity. The Information Day promised:

the chance to learn more about the Adult Learners’ Festival,

networking opportunities

event and activity ideas

how to promote adult learning using new and traditional media.

The environment in which organisations are working is dramatically different to previous Adult

Learners’ Festivals with organisations trying to meet increased demand with fewer resources.

The Information Day focussed on the importance of collaboration when working at local level

and organising festival events. It also created an opportunity to develop the capacity of event

organisers to publicise their work through a workshop on promoting adult learning using new

and traditional.

The meeting used discussion groups to facilitate networking and the exchange of ideas. 57

participants were seated in seven colour coded round tables of 8 – 10 with an AONTAS staff

member or a former event organiser present. 59% of participants had never been involved in

previous Festivals. Of the 41% of participants who took part in previous festivals, they were

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involved in a number of different ways including former event organisers, STAR Award

nominees, and Local Links.

3. CONTENT OF THE DAY

The morning commenced with an overview Adult Learners’ Festival and the key messages for the 2010 Festival from AONTAS Director, Berni Brady. Niamh Farren, Communications Officer AONTAS, provided an input on the Festival Themes and the resources available to event organisers. Niamh emphasized the importance of collaboration when holding an event, pointing out that it can result in better outcomes for learners. Niamh also highlighted the importance of documenting and evaluating your work during the Festival. Please see Appendix 3 for Niamh’s presentation. Following her presentation, Niamh invited participants to outline their experience of organising an event in previous years and share ideas about what they can do for the 2010 Festival within their groups. The short discussion focused on the following three questions: 1. Have you organised an event last year or in previous years? What kind of event do you

think you could organise this year?

Awards / Certificate ceremony

Bringing the Library out to the community

Coffee Morning

Congress: All centres urban and rural to put up festival banners and advertise FETAC courses

Event for internal staff and learners

Exhibition of Learners Work

Fun days in the library

GIY Ireland setting up a stall at the Farmers Market to highlight education

Gorta: Adult education – highlighting needs of people in the third world. Specialists to give workshops on poverty, aids etc

Information session on setting up your own business

Learner Development Day

Learners evening with learners’ stories

Learning story through art

Local history events

Online computers

Open days around the county

Seminar on cultural development

Stand at a local shopping centre

Theatre Night

Training for public on social media

Visit to TCD / Dail

Workshop on allotments, beekeeping, sustainable living

2. If you organised an event for previous Adult Learners’ Festivals, what worked well?

Working with other groups in the area

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3. If you organised an event for previous Adult Learners’ Festivals, what would you do

differently?

Run fewer evening events

Run events for morning / afternoon and not the whole day

Following the short discussion, Niamh Farren delivered a workshop on promoting the Adult Learners’ Festival using new and traditional media. The workshop provided tips on writing press releases, preparing for media interviews and using social networking and the internet to promote your event and the work of your organisation. The workshop was interactive, allowing participants to draw on their existing experience of using the media and encouraging them to share their approaches as well as asking questions. Niamh gave a short PowerPoint presentation which explained AONTAS PR strategy for the Festival as well as useful pointers in new and traditional media. The workshop was complimented by the resources available in the Explore Festival Toolkit. Following her input, Niamh invited participants to share ideas on promoting events and the work of adult learning organisations within their groups. The discussion focused on the following three questions:

i. How can you promote your event locally?

Activelink

Asking people to blog

Bluetooth

Bring a friend

CIC

Citizens Information

Communication between organisations

Community Halls

Community printers

Id and contact other organisations

It stays at the same time each year, can be worked into workplan

Let the people invited have more control

Library newsletter

Local centres of education e.g. VTIS, VEC

Local chambers of commerce

Phone around local groups

Photo call / celebrity

Post office

Posters

Send a speaker out to the groups to promote ourselves

Shops

TV shows e.g. The Afternoon Show, Ireland AM

Use local farmers market

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Competitions e.g. FLICKR photo competition

Credit union

E-mailing all contacts

Event section on website

Flier / Leaflet drop

Get more knowledge about local groups

Get organised early

Have press releases ready for local media

Local church

Local Hospital

Local Newspaper

Local politicians

Local radio

Local social welfare office

Mailing list / Webtext

Newsletter

Online newsletter

Parish newsletter

Use or rural / urban centres to promote and reach people

Use regional media – get a good contact with links in this area

Use website, mailing list, twitter

Using local shopping centre to reach people

Webtexting

Work with partners in local area

ii. What can AONTAS do to help you with promotion?

Event in a Bag is a good idea

Organising seminars

Free publicity great help

Building contacts when attending AONTAS Events

Website

Earlier promotion

Widen out brief

Local networking

Festival promotion is very important

Advertising

Additional contacts / mailing lists

Promoting on AONTAS website

Can look at press releases if needed

Can send extra resources if needed

One to one contact...phone back up / support

AONTAS update

E-mail

News section

Providing information on other organisations

Networking opportunities

iii. Do you have any other questions or suggestions about the Festival?

Look at the dates for the Adult Learners’ Festival 2011. April or May may be good time

as it coincides with exhibitions of learners work, achievement ceremonies and may be a

good time for recruitment for September.

The morning concluded with a quick feedback session from each of the seven discussion groups

followed by thanks and words of encouragement from AONTAS Director, Berni Brady.

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4. AFTER TODAY, WHAT IS THE ONE ACTION OR IDEA THAT YOU WILL PUT INTO

PRACTICE DURING THE ADULT LEARNERS’ FESTIVAL 2010.

Each participant was asked to fill out on evaluation form at the end of the event. 39 out of 57 participants responded. One of the questions participants were asked was “After today, what is the one action or idea that you will put into practice during the Adult Learners’ Festival 2010?

‘Bring a Friend’ l Adult education seminar on

international development studies l Be more media

focused & hoping to make a documentary on Blayney

Blades l Become a member of AONTAS Better

promotion l Create closer links to Northern Ireland /

Adult Education l Green Learning Day l Invite guest

speakers to event l Have a staff information meeting l

Learner Development Day l Learning Tree l Linking /

join forces with the library l More promotion Organise

an event for local woman l Organise an event in the

library l Organise workplace event, get Chambers to

endorse the Festival l Promote our event through the

local media l Promote the Festival within our 25

centres l Promotion via Qualifax l Recording event and

sharing learning materials l Social Media Training l Try

to get more local groups involved l Use Facebook /

Twitter to promote our service Use media l Will

discuss with team if possible to hold event, if not 2011

l

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5. Participant List

NAME ORGANISATION COUNTY E-MAIL 1. Aine Byrne IIPMM Dublin [email protected]

2. Alan Dalton National Learning Network

Dublin [email protected]

3. Ann Devlin FETAC Dublin [email protected]

4. Anne Byrne KARE Kildare [email protected]

5. Anne Maree O'Brien

Westmeath VEC Westmeath [email protected]

6. Aobhán Haverty, Co. Clare VEC Clare [email protected]

7. Bernadette Beatley

Rowlagh Women’s Group

Dublin [email protected]

8. Bernadette Cogan Dublin City Public Libraries – Central Library

[email protected]

9. Bernadine L personal interest No E-mail Provided

10. Berni Brady AONTAS Dublin [email protected]

11. Caroline Egan Carmichael Centre for Voluntary Groups

Dublin [email protected]

12. Catherine Gallagher

South Dublin County Council

Dublin [email protected]

13. Catherine McKenzie

St John of God Menni Services (Supported Employment)

No E-mail Provided

14. Ciara Murphy AONTAS Dublin [email protected]

15. Claire McSimon Focus Ireland No E-mail Provided

16. Colm Davis National Learning Network

[email protected]

17. Eilís Coyne – Local Link for Co Meath

Meath [email protected]

18. Eimear Chaomhanach

Temple Bar Cultural Trust

Dublin [email protected]

19. Elaine Gahan County Dublin VEC Dublin [email protected]

20. Eleonora Peruffo AONTAS Dublin [email protected]

21. Elizabeth Flanagan National Learning Network

Dublin [email protected]

22. Elizabeth Zuba IIPMM Dublin [email protected]

23. Elly Fairbairn WEB WOMEN'S GROUP

Dublin [email protected]

24. Erin Thomas Gorta – The Freedom From Hunger Council

[email protected]

25. Fiona Elward Congress [email protected]

26. Frances O’Gorman County Clare Library Clare [email protected]

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NAME ORGANISATION COUNTY E-MAIL 27. Grace Fox Ballyhoura Folklore

Project [email protected]

28. Irene Fay Canal Local Employment Service Network

No E-mail Provided

29. Jacinta Cuthbert AONTAs Dublin [email protected]

30. Joanne Power Waterford City Vec Waterford [email protected]

31. Kathryn Laing AONTAS Dublin [email protected]

32. Kirsi Hanifin Labour Women/labour Party

[email protected]

33. Laura Burke KARE Kildare [email protected]

34. Lill Coyne GIT [email protected]

35. Lorraine Cunningham

[email protected]

36. Louise Morgan The Digital Hub Dublin [email protected]

37. Mags Murphy Director of Councillor Services and Training-Labour Party

Dublin 1 [email protected]

38. Marcella C... Interior Design No E-mail Provided

39. Marian Courtney Chambers Ireland [email protected]

40. Marian Hickey CPLN-local employment service

Dublin 23 [email protected]

41. Marie Daly Rowlagh Women’s Group

Dublin [email protected]

42. Mark Wilkins Union Reps ICTU Belfast No E-mail Provided

43. Mary Devlin National Learning Network

Dublin [email protected]

44. Mary Farrell Co Longford Adult Educational Guidance Service

Co. Longford [email protected]

45. Mary Farrell Co Longford Adult Guidance

Longford [email protected]

46. Mary Hilda Cavanagh

[email protected]

47. Mary Quinlan Taemur Consulting [email protected]

48. Maura Ryan WEB WOMEN'S GROUP

[email protected]

49. Michael Potter National Learning Network

Dublin [email protected]

50. Niamh Farren AONTAS Dublin [email protected]

51. Nora Gubbins North Tipperary VEC Tipperary [email protected]

52. Pauline Comaskey Longford Women's link

Longford [email protected]

53. Peadar Lynch personal interest No E-mail Provided

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NAME ORGANISATION COUNTY E-MAIL 54. Phil Keane Canal Local

Employment Service Network

[email protected]

55. PJ Gallagher Individual Member [email protected]

56. Regina Dunne National College of Ireland

Dublin [email protected]

57. Sandra Hosty De Paul Ireland No E-mail Provided

58. Sandra Turner Offaly County Council – Library Service

[email protected]

59. Sean O'Reilly NQAI

60. Selina Reddy CPLN-local employment service

Dublin 22 [email protected]

61. Sofia Forero-Gomez

Epic Programme- Business in the Community Ireland

[email protected]

62. Suzanne Walsh Tallaght Centre for the Unemployed

Dublin24 [email protected]

63. Veronica Bayly Dublin [email protected]

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Appendix 1: Information Day Agenda

Date: Wednesday, 20 January 2010

Time: 09:30 – 12.30

Venue: The Gresham Hotel, O’ Connell Street, Dublin 1

A light lunch of soup and sandwiches will be served at 12.30.

AGENDA

09:30 – 10:00 Registration with tea, coffee and biscuits

10:00 – 10:20 Welcome and overview of the Adult Learners’ Festival 2010

Policy Aspects and Festival Messages

Berni Brady, Director, AONTAS

10:20 – 10:35 Festival Themes

Niamh Farren, Communications Officer, AONTAS

Celebrate Learning : The STAR Awards Ceremony

Green Learning Day

Learning Communities (plus some info about the TV series)

Learning @ Work

Lobby for Learning

AONTAS Support and Resources/ Event in a Bag

10:35 – 10:50 Organising an Event – Practical Advice

Experience of past event organisers, and get ideas for your events

10:50 – 11:00 Tea Break

11:00 – 12:00 Workshop: Promoting the Adult Learners’ Festival - Using Traditional and

New Media

Niamh Farren, Communications Officer, AONTAS

Tips on writing press releases, preparing for media interviews. Using social

networking and the internet to promote your event.

12:00 – 12:20 Workshop feedback and Final Questions

12:20 – 12.30 Thanks & Close

Berni Brady, Director, AONTAS

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

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Appendix 2: Supports and Resources

This year we've made it as easy as possible for you to participate. The A- Z of activities on our

website will help you decide on something simple and easy that you can organise within your

group or community. Once you have decided on an activity, you can enter details about your

event directly on our website. AONTAS will send you a copy of our 'Event in a Bag' which

contains promotional and display materials. Details of your event will be included on the

website in the lead up to the Festival, along with your contact details. AONTAS can also help

you promote your event in your local media, or put you in contact with organisations or people

that are involved in your area.

Event in a Bag

If you are planning an event for the Adult Learners' Festival (22 -26 February 2010) we have

everything you might need in an Event in a Bag. The Event in a Bag is an exciting resource for

the Adult Learners' Festival 2010. This complete kit of materials is designed to support you in

holding local events and activities during the week of the festival.

An Event in a Bag contains:

10 A3 Posters 10 A5 Fliers 4 Banners 6 Balloons 30 Bookmarks 30 Pens 1 AONTAS Information Booklet 1 Explore Magazine with Festival Toolkit

A limited number of posters and fliers are available as Gaeilge:

A3 Poster (Irish Language) A5 Flier (Irish Language)

Get your Event in a Bag by registering your event on the Calendar of Events by clicking here or contact Eleonora Peruffo at [email protected] / 01 4068220.

Festival Themed Days

Monday, 22 February 2010: Celebrate Learning

Tuesday, 22 February 2010: Green Learning

Wednesday, 22 February 2010: Learning Communities

Thursday, 22 February 2010: Learn at Work

Friday, 22 February 2010: Lobby for Learning

AONTAS

Adult Learners’ Festival 2010

‘Better Together”

Festival Themes

Themes

• European Year of Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion

• Collaboration – results in better outcomes for learners

• Promoting what we already do

• Each day of the Festival will promote a different aspect to learning

Thematic Days – Monday 22nd

• Monday 22nd February – ‘Celebrate Learning’

• STAR Awards Ceremony – 3pm at No. 6 Kildare St

• 110 projects nominated – shortlist of 40 available from Feb 1st

• Winners announced on the day

Tuesday 23rd – Green Learning

• Promote learning initiatives focusing on environmental education, sustainable living, gardening, recycling

• Participating organisations include GIY Ireland (Grow it Yourself), ENFO and the Cultivate Centre

Wednesday 24th

Learning Communities

• Promoting all aspects of non-formal learning

• Promoting the role of community education in combating poverty and social exclusion

• Launching a series of TV programmes ‘Beyond the Classroom’ – on DCTV

• Involvement from local libraries, community groups, art galleries, museums

Thursday 25th – Learn @ Work

• Promoting the importance of workplace learning

• Particular focus on business sector, through IBEC and Small Firms Association

• Open to any organisation who wants to run an event which promotes access to learning for their staff – eg Arts Council

Friday 26th – Lobby for Learning

• AONTAS to host an adult education ‘clinic’ with the education spokespeople from government and opposition parties

• Focus on learners and providers – opportunity to air their concerns and feed into future Manifestos, through a ‘listening post’

• Brief response from elected representatives at the end

Support and Resources

• Event in a Bag• Toolkits with activity sheets for each day• Press Releases circulated in advance of the

Festival to event organisers/ AONTAS membership

• www.adultlearnersfestival.com will include the most up to date information on events and publicity

• Assistance in promoting your own event locally• Statistics / Information

WORKSHOP

Promoting Adult LearningUsing new & traditional media

Niamh Farren

Communications Officer

AONTAS PR Strategy for ALF

• Contacting national tv and radio programmes/ papers in advance of the Festival

• Regular press releases throughout the Festival

• Support members to engage with local media through the provision of press releases

• Advertising – through recording of an ad for local and national radio, print advertising

• Use of social media – Facebook and Twitter

This workshop

• How can we work together to promote adult learning during the Adult Learners’ Festival?

• Issue better Press Releases

• Understand what journalists are looking for

• Explore online media to promote adult learning

The media environment

• Television

• Radio

• Newspapers

• Magazines

• Parish Newsletter

• Websites

• Blogs/Podcasts

• Social Networking Sites

• All feed off each other

What does a journalist want?

• Something newsworthy – preferably that ties into an existing story

• Information provided to a tight deadline

• A strong human interest story

• Something unusual/ quirky

• Something controversial

• An authoritative voice

• For radio, spokesperson is important, for television, visuals, and for print, good photograph

What you need to deal with the media

• A Press Release• Photographs of your event (check with the newspaper

about the format)• Spokesperson/ spokespersons –from your organisation,

learners that you know• Website or other background materials• Contact details• A strong, simple message!• A good, regularly updated electronic mailing list of

relevant media personnel. • Information about their deadlines.

What makes a good press release?• A catchy headline.• Main information in the first paragraph of the press

release – i.e. who, why, what, where, how.• Statistics• No jargon – simple straightforward language• Suggest photo opportunities?• VIPs, Celebrity Involvement? • Quotes • A good soundbite/ use metaphors• Timing• Don’t forget to include details about your event – time,

date, venue and your own contact details.

Questions to help you write a good press release

• What is the problem, or issue that you are trying to address?

• Who thinks that this is an important issue?

• Why should people care about this issue?

The Internet

•Personal

•Viral

•Interactive

‘Facebook is for people you know, Twitter is for people you want to know.’

What you need to participate

• Separate email account is good – eg gmail/ hotmail (allows more people to access)

• Register your account with the social networking site (eg Facebook/ Twitter)

• Time – you need to build up a network or following and this doesn’t happen by osmosis

• Use it regularly – this medium thrives on immediacy

• Allows users to create a group/ network

• Key target audience – event organisers and AONTAS members

• Purpose – to allow event organisers to exchange information. AONTAS will post useful resources, updates and event details

• Users will need a facebook account to access the site

Event Organisers Page on Facebook

• Allows users to build up a following – AONTAS will post short updates and information about events all through the week

• Target audience – general public, politicians, anyone interested in adult learning.

• Used by journalists, researchers, politicians, bloggers

• Followers can ‘re tweet’ messages, thus maximising publicity on a message.

AONTAS on Twitter

Other online supports

• Flickr – for photos and images

• Google alerts – set up an account and get news on a particular issue sent directly to your inbox

• Youtube (short videos)

• Vimeo – for longer films/ programmes

Using social networking as a promotional tool

• It’s not about quantity of people, but about quality. Who is following you, not how many.

• It’s at its best when used to start conversations, rather than just posting press releases. Ask questions, seek feedback.

• Can also help you gather information, by cultivating new contacts

• Can help you make contact with people that you wouldn’t normally deal with

www.adultlearnersfestival.com

Questions

• How can you promote your event locally?

• What can AONTAS do to help you with promotion?

• Do you have any other questions about the Festival?

In summary....

• Be creative in your promotional work

• Try a mix of media, rather than relying on one

• Contact us if you need assistance

• Submit your event as soon as details are finalised

• Let us know what you are doing, so that we can promote your activities

• Tell us how well you get on!