WIT News
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WIT-led adult learning project highly commended in national awards Posted: Mon, February 2, 2009 |
A Waterford Institute of Technology-led programme designed to raise mothers’ expectations of their children’s education has been highly commended by the adult learning organisation, AONTAS at its annual awards.
The Mothers Make A Difference (MMAD) project works by bringing together relevant agencies and organisations to provide educational opportunities for disadvantaged mothers and help them to have a more positive experience of education.
The project has already worked with over 80 mothers and involves agencies such as FÁS; the City of Waterford Vocational Education Committee (VEC); the Department of Education & Science; Department of Social & Family Affairs, the Health Service Executive (HSE), Home School Liaison Programme, Waterford School Completion Programme working alongside Waterford Institute of Technology to show families how important education is and how Third Level is not elitist.
Being highly commended at the AONTAS star awards for adult learning projects is a huge recognition of the importance of family learning, according to Nuala Lennon, Access Officer at the Waterford Institute’s Centre for Helping Access, Retention & Teaching (CHART). She is making a presentation on the project as part of the National Adult Learners Festival.
“The MMAD project was initiated by a group of agencies and educational providers in Waterford city. It was started in an attempt to further enhance WIT junior access programmes by engaging parents in their children’s education, while simultaneously exposing them to educational opportunities for themselves.
“MMAD is unique in that it blends all levels of educational providers - primary, secondary, further and higher education - in a partnership which works from a holistic perspective. The partnership has worked closely with other support agencies to develop best practice in terms of educational provision for those who may not have traditionally accessed further or higher education.
As well as MMAD, CHART is involved in a host of ACCESS programmes, among them an early intervention programme which works with children from 4th Class in primary schools right up to 6th Year in secondary school. It also hosts a series of education-based activities that give children a sense of what life is like at college. The ACCESS service also runs a ‘buddy programme’ whereby existing students mentor children who come onto campus for special events. In addition, it works hand-in-hand with a major multi-nationals in the city who sponsor outreach ACCESS programmes in designatee schools designed to boost childrens’ expectations of themselves and show them how accessible Third Level is.
- Further information on CHART’s ACCESS activities is available at www.wit.ie
