Summer 2017 Summer 2017 | Page 24

Transformative Community Education

Training WWETB Staff

Waterford Wexford Education and Training Board is leading a collaboration of Carlow/Kilkenny ETB, Tipperary ETB and Laois Offaly ETB in supporting a CPD Programme for staff in QQI 7 Transformative Community Education.

Over 20 ETB staff and tutors enrolled to participate in this programme, which commenced on 29th April in Tramore Further Education and Training Centre Waterford and ran for 10 weeks.

This course provides learners with a comprehensive introduction to transformative community education. It outlines the primary theories and concepts of community education emerging from diverse communities of practice, including a social action model of community education. The programme further examines key policy debates regarding community education, including state priorities, accessibility, gender equality, and e-learning. Throughout, learners are supported to reflect critically on their learning, experience, and role in shaping the future of community education in Ireland.

The programme is accredited by Carlow IT and delivered through An Cosan Virtual Community College. An Cosán Virtual Community College (VCC) is changing lives and communities through online education. VCC is here to help you succeed through community education, using virtual and online technologies. It’s for adults of all ages. VCC is an education initiative to scale the work of An Cosán in Tallaght West. We empower people to learn using the latest virtual, online and mobile technologies.

Speaking about the Programme, Fran Kennedy, Adult Education Officer, WWETB explained why she sees this programme as so important for their staff and tutors.

“We are really delighted to be in a position, through the partnership with An Cosan VCC, to offer our community education tutors a unique opportunity to develop core community education skills through participation in the module. One of the core aims of our service is to support community education groups to work towards a principle of collective advancement over personal advancement- and this module will further support tutors to explore this objective with our community education groups. In tandem with the core skills development, we believe the hands on experience of going on line for the completion of this module; will in turn enable our tutors to promote these on line learning opportunities with key volunteers in our community education groups.”

“Today’s digital technologies have already been adapted to help overcome social isolation… we have proved that students who are dissatisfied, disaffected and disengaged are reachable.”

- Lord David Puttnam, Patron of Virtual Community College

For anyone interested in applying for these programmes log on to www.ancosanvcc.com, email [email protected] or call 01 534 1847.