Celebrate inspirational adult learners - nominate them for an award
Make sure the remarkable achievements of adult learners are given the recognition they deserve by nominating them for the Adult Learners’ Week Awards 2009. Every year the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) receives over 1,000 nominations from colleges, businesses, adult education providers, museums, libraries and elsewhere and aims to make its 18th Adult Learners’ Week the most successful yet.
The awards for Adult Learners’ Week (9th – 15th May 2009) illustrate the extraordinary achievements, of adult learners – young, old and in all their diversity. They are awarded for their inspirational learning journeys, for the way they have coped with challenges and for the way they have embraced learning to help them transform their lives and often other people’s lives as well.
Winning an award as a result of being nominated, can be an encouraging and life changing experience for learners itself. Some winners of the 2008 awards share their thoughts on how much winning meant to them:
Paul Lee, aged 36, from Oldham, won an award for his dramatic journey from bricklayer to Cambridge University student. Paul says, “Going back to learning helped me feel like my old self again and winning the actual award helped me to get my confidence back. I think the recognition I earned was the most important step in becoming confident, regardless of my learning results, as great as they have been.”
John McAnuff, aged 72, from Tottenham, won an award for taking a course in Jamaican Language and Culture and being inspired to spread awareness of his roots by writing, ‘The New Jumiekan Langwij Alfabet Song’. John says, “Winning this award has been a really valuable step in my life and the recognition encourages you like a new surge of energy”.
He continues, “In our media driven society the publicity I got put my talents in the spotlight and opened doors for me. I even got to meet my local MP and he asked me what he could do for me, it was a rare opportunity.”
To nominate, visit www.alw.org.uk/nominate where you can download forms or request a paper form - nominations can be submitted online or returned by post. Additional nominations forms can be ordered at www.niace.org.uk/alw/2009/order-nomination-forms.htm. The closing date for nominations in England is Wednesday 21st January 2009 (by 5pm).
Nomination forms are also available on audiocassette and in other languages from the NIACE Campaigns Team. For your form telephone 0116 204 4200, or email alw@niace.org.uk.
