Adult Learners’ Festival 2025
Connecting Communities #LearnTogetherLiveTogether
This year’s theme is Connecting Communities, and adult and community education is the bridge that connects communities across the island of Ireland.
Education is political. In challenging times, adult and community education has the power to change minds and change lives - for the better.
This year, the Adult Learners’ Festival explores how to keep people connected and to strengthen our communities. We face challenges in our society at the moment, and some issues are framed to intentionally divide us. But adult learning brings people together, it helps us to ask questions and examine the world around us.
Adult and community education is a path forward, for us all. It is a bridge between the past, present, and future, a way to unite people and show the ties that bind. Through adult and community education, we are Learning Together and Living Together, and there is a place for everyone.
Join us this March.
Let’s work together on “Connecting Communities.”
Get Involved
Are you working in adult or community education? Are you offering courses or classes in your local area? We encourage you to get involved by hosting an event to celebrate learning and connect with the wider community. Events can be small or large, and could be anything from an online coffee morning or taster session to an organised walk or exhibition. Festival events should not charge an admission fee, and be relevant to adult education.
Submit your event on our searchable Events Calendar to spread the word. The first 100 events that are registered before 19th February 2025 can request a free, posted resource pack. This will have printed posters, pens, bookmarks and flyers to help you celebrate. You can also download graphics to use on your website or social media from the Event Toolkit.
Put up flyers in your local library, post office, café, supermarket or museum and invite people to come to your event! Take a look at our recent information session for more ideas.
We also promote Adult Learners’ Festival events on our social channels and website, and through the media. Last year we reached 5.2 million people!
Use the hashtags #LearnTogetherLiveTogether #ALF25
This year, we will also support the first 30 organisations that submit an event with a €100 voucher, which you can use to buy resources or to support learners.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, email us at ALF@aontas.com.
You can also find us on aontas.com or follow our Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X/Twitter for the latest updates.
About AONTAS
AONTAS are the National Adult Learning Organisation of Ireland. We are passionate about raising awareness of the benefits of education for everyone, at any time of their lives. We are a membership organisation who fight for equal access to education for everyone, regardless of their experiences. We conduct evidence-based research to support our recommendations for changes to the education system so that everyone has the chance to learn, and keep learning.