Join us at the NALA Family Learning conference in Dublin.

Practical approaches to family learning

Our Family Learning conference is back and we are looking forward to seeing you.

Cost: There is no fee for attending this conference. Please register below.

Travel: Please note Parking is not available at The Richmond Centre. There is a LUAS stop (Smithfield) nearby and other public transport options.

Programme

9.30 Tea, coffee and registration.

10.00 Chair: Welcome and introductions – Helen Walsh, Family Literacy Lead, Adult Literacy for Life, National Programme Office, SOLAS.

10.10 NALA Updates – Colleen Dube, CEO, NALA.

10:20 Mystery Reader Initiative – Síle Whelan, Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) Coordinator, St Aidan’s Parish School, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford.

10:40 Traveller and Roma Education Strategy: How it will support Travellers and Roma through their educational journey – Clare Garrett, Tusla Education Support Service, Travel and Roma Education Strategy General Manager.

11:00 Children’s Books Ireland: Projects and resources supporting families, schools, and communities – Becky Long, Education Outreach Manager, Children’s Books Ireland.

11:20 Questions and answers

11.45 – 1.15pm Morning workshops

Please select one morning workshop

(a) ‘Embarking on a heroic journey’: Establish well-being and personal-development through the ancient art of storytelling – Steve Lally, International Storyteller and best-selling author.

(b) Practical tips on increasing participation for Traveller and Roma families in literacy – Stephanie McDermott, Coordinator, Kilkenny Traveller Community Movement and Nicky Egan, Integrated Services Manager, Home School Community Liaison, Tusla.

(c) Bridging the distance: Family storytelling from prison – A model for reconnection. Discover a pioneering initiative from Cork where compassionate collaboration between schools and the prison system led to Ireland’s first in-prison parent-teacher meeting and a unique storytelling project. This session will explore how recording stories for young children by incarcerated parents can significantly improve school attendance and emotional well-being, while restoring vital family bonds. The project demonstrates the transformative potential of creative family learning interventions—even within challenging contexts—and offers practical recommendations for expanding these supports across the education and justice sectors in Ireland – David McCarthy, HSCL, Scoil Ursula and Gaelscoil Mhachan, Cork.

(d) ‘Our Lived Memories’ – a Family Learning Project delivered by Joan Moffitt, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB in collaboration with Sligo Library. It was born from another Family Learning project – ‘Memories in a Box’. Five woman share stories and poems in a publication that captures social change and personal history created from treasured keepsakes – Joan Moffitt, Family Learning Coordinator and Dolores McLoughlin, Adult Literacy Organiser, Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim ETB.

1.15 – 2pm Lunch.

2.00 – 3.15 Afternoon workshops

Please select one afternoon workshop

(e) Tiny Little Libraries: An early years initiative with Dublin City Council Libraries and children’s hospitals. Join Eimear Corcoran from Dublin City Council Libraries to learn how she set up an early years reading initiative with children’s hospitals in Dublin. The workshop will explore ways in which Eimear and the hospital staff came together to encourage parents to use reading, talking and singing to their children as a form of communication, while their children were patients in the hospital – Eimear Corcoran, Children’s Services Librarian, Dublin City Council Libraires.

(f) Sharing our Stories project: Using local history as a tool for family learning – Arlene White, Adult Education Tutor, Limerick and Clare ETB.

(g) ‘Embarking on a heroic journey’: Establish well-being and personal-development through the ancient art of storytelling – Steve Lally, International Storyteller and best-selling author.

(h) The Wild Book of Children’s Creativity: Creating a graphic novel.
In consultation with 5th classes in Scoil Mhuire National School in Mulhuddart, Dublin, a project to design a graphic novel which celebrated the creativity of children was devised. The project took kids right through the process from storyboarding to publication. The graphic novel is now available in print and on our eBook platform, ‘Borrrowbox’ – Lilian Whelan, Senior Executive Librarian and Creative Ireland co-ordinator for Fingal County Council and Alan Nolan, Children’s author and illustrator.

Getting to the conference: While there is no parking at The Richmond Centre, there are two LUAS tram stops nearby – (Smithfield – red line and Broadstone – green line). Heuston train station is a 20-minute walk away. Also, we are pleased to say there is no registration fee. However, we would be delighted if you would become a NALA member.

You can contact Fergus Dolan at fdolan@nala.ie with any questions.