2010 Adults Continuing Education (ACE) Awards launched

Wednesday 13^TH January 2010 – EBS Building Society today joined forces for the fifth year running with the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) and called for all those involved in adult basic education to enter their ‘ace’ card in the 2010 ACE Awards.

The aim of the ACE Awards is to help identify and support research into new approaches to adult literacy teaching and learning. The overall winner of the ACE Awards will receive a €10,000 grant from EBS Building Society to conduct research into their project. Findings from the project will be shared with other adult literacy practitioners and will help to influence good practice across the adult literacy sector. All those involved in adult basic education are invited to submit nominations that focus on original and effective adult literacy programmes that would benefit from further research and development.

Speaking at the launch, Inez Bailey, Director, NALA said: “Good practice in adult literacy work starts with the needs and interests of individuals. It is concerned with personal development and building confidence as well as the technical skills of reading and writing. Many organisations are contributing greatly to this work in Ireland, however in order to share the benefits of this work we need to prove its effectiveness and impact through research. We are delighted to be partnering again with EBS for this unique project and we look forward to being able to recognise the inspiring work that is being done throughout the country and to showcase it for the benefit of others.”

Commenting at the launch of the awards Aidan Power, Head of Marketing at EBS, said: “This is the fifth year of the ACE Awards and once again we are delighted to be working with NALA on what is a very worthy initiative. The ACE Awards are one of many projects we’ve worked with NALA on over the past five years in the area of adult literacy. Together we are constantly looking at new and innovative ways to target the problem of financial and family literacy.

“In a time of economic uncertainty, adult literacy tuition has a unique part to play in the context of assisting people develop their literacy and numeracy. Now more than ever, the challenge is to present compelling, evidence-based research as to why adult literacy teaching and learning is vital for Irish society and the economy. All those involved in adult basic education are invited to submit nominations that focus on original and effective programmes that would benefit from further research and development. I look forward to working with the judging panel to identify the winner of this year’s awards.”

Previous winners include Kildare Youth Training Centre’s highly successful project on integrating literacy in a youth education setting and last year’s winner ‘A B Sea’, County Galway VEC’s project aimed at supporting early school leavers who are involved in the fishing industry. In the Kildare scheme, literacy and numeracy skills were integrated into each students chosen subjects which made learning more relevant to their everyday life rather than being viewed as purely ‘school subjects’. The approach resulted in better student progression and higher retention rates.

Findings from Galway’s ‘A B Sea’ research show the need to develop a specific programme that would address the educational needs of early school leavers involved in the fishing industry. The provision of the EBS research grant will ensure that VECs and other adult literacy groups in fishing towns around the country can take the project and adapt it and deliver it depending on the needs of their own communities.

The closing date for nominations is 31^st March 2010 and nomination forms are now available on both the NALA (www.nala.ie) and EBS (www.ebs.ie) websites. Nominations are welcome from all those involved in adult basic education, who work to develop competence in adult skills, such as literacy, numeracy, ICT and communications. The ACE Awards ceremony will take place in Dublin in April 2010.

ENDS/

For further information please contact:

Suzanne Sullivan
Q4PR 01-4751444/086-3797291

Clare McNally

NALA 01-8509109/ 087 6486292

Note for News Editors

National Adult Literacy Agency

The National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) is an independent membership organisation, concerned with developing policy, advocacy, research and offering advisory services in adult literacy work in Ireland. NALA was established in 1980 and has campaigned since then for the recognition of, and response to, the adult literacy issue in Ireland. Its mission is to ensure all people with literacy and numeracy difficulties can fully take part in society and have access to learning opportunities that meet their needs.

The NALA / EBS Partnership

NALA and the EBS Building Society entered into a partnership agreement in 2004. Through the partnership a variety of projects have been developed in the areas of Financial and Family Literacy. The joint launch of the ACE Awards demonstrates NALA and EBS Building Society’s continuing commitment to developing exceptional learning opportunities for adults.

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