Adult Learners Week - September 1-8 2021
Join Australia’s national festival of adult learning and nominate an outstanding adult learner as part of Adult Learners Week.
Adult Learners Week, from September 1—8, offers organisations that run courses, classes, exhibitions, tours or other adult education activities the chance to celebrate their work and give Australians a chance to learn something new. This year’s theme is ‘Change Your Story’ — and with COVID-19 in mind — the focus is on how people can take their lives in new directions through adult education.
Organisations who take part in Adult Learners Week include neighbourhood houses, community centres, libraries, training organisations, community colleges, employers, local councils, not for profit organisations, TAFE colleges and other adult education providers across all states and territories.
Organisations who register their events before August 6 will go in the draw for 20 early bird grants, so get your event registered now to be in the running. There are also three best event prizes of $1000 for events that best capture the spirit and theme of #ALW2021.
If you know someone who has an inspiring story about turning their life around through adult education, you can nominate them for one of three $1000 Adult Learners Week scholarships.
Adult Learners Week events and scholarship nominees are featured across social media platforms as part of a national campaign so it’s a great opportunity to highlight the work your organisation does and the achievements of your learners.
This year eligible events include adult learning activities and programs run during 1–8 Sept that are virtual or face to face; one off or ongoing and low or no cost.
www.adultlearnersweek.org
City of Melton Lifelong Learning Festival - Postponed until November
The City of Melton Lifelong Learning Festival (LLF), organised and delivered by Melton City Council, is returning to the municipality, but has been postponed until November. Following a tumultuous year in 2020 for all, coupled with the postponement and pivot to a fully online 2020 celebration, we are excited to have the opportunity to showcase a smaller but higher quality program of free events to our community in 2021.
This annual event, now running for a 4th consecutive year, is a community-wide celebration of the ongoing pursuit of knowledge where local lifelong learning opportunities are showcased, absolutely free. Following on from previous years, this year’s program features a mixed-mode of face-to-face and online events for all ages, abilities and interests covering a range of topics, each falling under one of seven categories including:
- Learning for Taste
- Learning for Sustainability
- Learning for Creativity
- Learning for Earning
- Learning for Health
- Learning for Technology
- Learning for Fun
The full program of events will be available in the coming weeks. Features of this year’s program in each category include a sensory garden design workshop, a children’s educational magic show by Tim Credible, a mini health festival called ‘Move – Eat – Sleep’, a delectable cheese-making workshop in one of our community centre’s state-of-the-art teaching kitchen, a pottery workshop in newly purpose-built art rooms, a family tree making workshop and professional barista training and a ‘poetry slam’ competition out of our libraries among many other exciting events.
We are excited to also be planning a face-to-face opening event for the 2021 LLF, welcoming residents to come together to mark the beginning of this new chapter for the festival.
If you would like to learn about the 2021 festival and spreads the word to your networks, you can do this by checking out our Facebook page, website and official festival poster.
Wyndham Learning Festival - 1-5 September 2021 
Planning is underway for the 6
th Wyndham Learning Festival (WLF) scheduled for 1-5 September 2021. Building on the success of previous Festivals, this year’s Festival promises to be more diverse, and full of a variety of learning experiences sure to engage the Wyndham community and beyond. Following a challenging year for all in 2020, the 2021 Wyndham Learning Festival will feature a smaller, curated program ensuring that all members of the community find a learning event that interests them.
Arising out of the
Wyndham Learning Community Strategy 2018-2023, the WLF is led by the Wyndham Community & Education Centre, with support from Wyndham City Council and a range of key learning stakeholders. The annual Wyndham Learning Festival is a whole of community event that provides opportunities for FREE learning activities across the City of Wyndham. The festival has activities for all ages and interests, promoting lifelong learning for all and welcoming new events, sponsors and participants to reflect this diverse and dynamic learning community.
The City of Wyndham is one of the fastest-growing cities in Australia. The current population forecast for 2021 is 302,650, and it is forecast to grow exponentially to a population of 512,591 by 2041, a change of 78% by 2041. Almost half of these people come from overseas. With this rapid expansion come many opportunities and challenges for the city and its residents. To take full advantage of these opportunities and promote sustainable inclusion, the city is dedicated to focusing on lifelong learning for its community.
Unfortunately, the “live” launch of the Festival scheduled for 6 August has been cancelled due to the uncertainty of pandemic restrictions; however, there is a keen determination to run the Festival this year with a mix of “live” and virtual events, according to the latest protocols in September.
On a more positive note the working group were excited to welcome generous Festival sponsorship from Victoria University Polytechnic, Pacific Werribee Shopping Centre, and Greater Western Water. The support and involvement of these sponsors is even more greatly appreciated at such a challenging time, as is the support from ALCN and Adult Learning Australia.
The full program will soon be available on the Festival website and lifelong learners are encouraged to book early for their favourite events to avoid disappointment. Highlights this year include the Wyndham Learning Festival’s signature WYNtalk “Re-emerge, Connect & Thrive” with global leader, entrepreneur and adventurer Mina Guli. Mina will inspire us to look forward, post COVID, to find purpose, to pursue goals in the face of unprecedented challenges and re-imagine ourselves/our future. A photography exhibition will showcase a series of photos and stories of people in the West captured during Melbourne’s long lockdown, drawn from the book “Together Apart: Life in Lockdown”, co-authored and self-published during Melbourne’s long lockdown by local journalist Belinda Jackson and her neighbour photographer Jude van Daalen. Other highlights include a QnA with aware-winning playwright Alaine Beek exploring her dramatic arts youth program; a discovery tour of places of worship in Wyndham; cybersecurity and coding workshops; cake decorating; skilling for the future workforce; health and active workshops and many more!
To assist the Wyndham Learning Festival to encourage the community to get out and try new things, we encourage you to become an Ambassador or Fan of the Festival and help us spread the word.
See the WLF website -
https://www.wynlearnfestival.org.au/ for program information or to register for an event.
If you’re on LinkedIn, feel free to follow the Wyndham Learning Community page
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/13977495/ You are also warmly invited to ‘like’ or follow the WLF Facebook page, so please check out our page and like it when you have time
https://www.facebook.com/WynLearnFestival/ For more details contact Diane Tabbagh, Coordinator Learning Community
[email protected]
development training delivered by Marie Dunne and Martin Heaney from RESILIO, Ireland. It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know other members from around the world and also to learn more about resilience and hope and how these ideas can be implemented in our communities. The GLF is one way of building hope stories and we look forward to your participation.
RMIT University. Vi has also studied Business and Economics at Monash University, and has experience as a Customer Services Officer in the health industry, having also previously worked in the hospitality industry and as an online mentor to fellow RMIT students.
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