Community Education: Local, Lifelong, Life Changing (22 - 28 Sept)
From 22 to 28 September, the AONTAS Community Education Network (CEN) will run an all-island campaign to highlight the value and impact of community education across Ireland.
Using the slogan “Local, Lifelong, Life-Changing”, the campaign will share inspiring learner stories through local and national media, showcasing the transformational role of community education. Updates will also feature prominently on AONTAS social media channels.
On Tuesday, 23 September, the campaign will mark the National Day of Visibility for Community Education. On this day, community education organisations throughout the country will use social media to celebrate the campaign slogan with learner photos and videos.
The campaign will also draw attention to the pressing challenges faced by CEN members, particularly issues around funding and recognition. Broadcast, print, and social media will be used to raise awareness of these concerns across the island.
In the Republic of Ireland, the focus will be on the AONTAS Budget 2026 submission, which calls for a 12% increase in the Further Education and Training budget, with ringfenced funding for community education. In Northern Ireland, the campaign will urge policy makers to establish a framework that fully recognises the value of community education, and to implement recent AONTAS research findings on impact evaluation in adult education.
How to Get Involved
AONTAS is encouraging individuals and organisations, particularly those working on social media, to watch out for campaign posts during the week and to reshare them where possible - especially on Tuesday for the National Day of Visibility.