ACE Place – Building Learning Communities

ACE Place – Building Learning Communities

What did you learn today? It’s a question often asked of children at the end of the school day but one we rarely ask an adult.

ACE Aotearoa Director, Jo Lake says this is surprising given that learning doesn’t stop once people leave school or tertiary education. “Learning continues and is one of the greatest pleasures in life."

This year’s Adult Learners’ Week/He Tangata Mātauranga, September 2-8, celebrates the learning that happens everyday and everywhere in homes, offices, cafes, parks and public spaces and ALW/HTM organisers will be on the lookout for ACE Places where a culture of learning is nurtured and encouraged.

Groups or organizations identified will be presented with the specially designed ACE Place sticker and encouraged to share their learning stories on the ACE Place Facebook page.

Jo Lake says the ACE Place promotion recognises that informal learning really enhances people’s wellbeing especially when they learn in a group. Creating a culture of learning is not about the training and professional development that organisations provide but about sharing an idea, a parenting tip, cell phone app or good book. It can also be doing the daily crossword, a yoga class or learning te Reo together.

Aotearoa has a strong culture of adult learning and every year tens of thousands of people take part in some form of learning activity. Aotearoa also has hundreds of marae scattered throughout the country where whānau have learnt together for generations. These are our unique ACE Places.

Jo Lake says many communities in Aotearoa have been transformed through community learning initiatives provided in schools or community houses. “Community learning opportunities like Computers in Homes have broken down the digital divide between today’s learners (digital natives) and older learners (digital immigrants).”

Adult Learners’ Week/He Tangata Mātauranga, September 2-8 celebrates all adult learning whether it’s upskilling for a better job, preparing for further study, improving life skills or getting fit and having some fun. It is supported by the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO and incorporates International Literacy Day on September 8.

Adult Learners’ Week/He Tangata Mātauranga is organised by ACE Aotearoa.
For more information see the website www.adultlearnersweek.org.nz

ENDS

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