Get active, stay active: EPALE

EPALE is the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe. It is funded by Erasmus+, co-financed by European Union member states and supported in Ireland by SOLAS. It has National Support Services (NSSs) in 38 European countries, writes Manika-Nia Dixon, EPALE IE Coordinator.

EPALE is intended for Adult Education professionals including FET educators and trainers; guidance and support staff; researchers and academics; and policymakers. The platform is unique in its:

• Open membership;
• Multilingual approach;
• User-led content; and
• Communities of practice.

The platform provides a haven for practitioners to collaborate, innovate, and connect through blog posts, open discussions, and the partner search tool, as well as through physical gatherings. 

EPALE in Ireland is managed by Léargas, the National Agency for Erasmus+ Adult Education, School Education, VET and Youth. Like many NSSs, EPALE Ireland (IE) takes a digital approach to activate practitioners across the country to get active and stay active in EPALE.

EPALE IE offers workshops, webinars, discussion points, events, and news updates relevant to the Adult Education sector in Ireland. EPALE IE also focuses on promoting more and better opportunities for adult learners through connection with specialists in the adult education sector. For EPALE IE, we value staying current: we strive to animate the platform through topics that members identify as both useful and relevant.

Because EPALE is an electronic platform, we were uniquely situated during the beginning stages of the global pandemic to continue to serve our members. However, we – and many other NSSs – endeavour to be continuously innovative in our delivery of original content and events. EPALE IE, for example, responded to the potential oversaturation of web-based events by constructing a space that relieves members of burnout. Supporting members by staying in tune with needs is a primary objective for us. 

EPALE surveys what is being done and looks for ways to elevate, switch, or create something new, and in doing so facilitates space for the sector to grow and innovate alongside.

Each year we identify quarterly themes and design specific events and discussion around them. In 2020, EPALE IE approached topics like:

• Digital challenges and opportunities;
• E-teaching languages journeys;
• Story finding in the community; and
• Bringing burnout tools to adult learners. 

We used feedback from each event to create more content and events for members to boost their professional knowledge and expertise. Traversing down wide and varied topics within EPALE’s overarching themes allows members to expand on their professional capabilities. The connections made uphold EPALE’s mission of pan-European cooperation. 

Through joining EPALE for free, members become part of the largest hub for adult learning in Europe and have access to an ever-growing community where each member is an integral part of the vibrancy and creativity of the platform. In addition to having access to relevant content, members can submit blog posts, news, events, and resources. Registered users are also able to participate in shared spaces and communities of practice, encouraging networking and professional improvement. All this creates a very special kind of collaborative atmosphere.

EPALE’s calendar enables members to easily understand what is coming up, as well as view past events, to help complement their own events and cultivate ideas for the future. 

EPALE’s success in cultivating a community platform in adult learning makes it a worthwhile venture for every professional within the field.

Léargas, Kings Inns House, Parnell St, Dublin 1, D01 A3Y8
E: epale@leargas.ie
W: www.leargas.ie