Three-day festival celebrating Lifelong Learning takes place in Trinity

Posted on: 17 April 2024

The festival aims to celebrate the inclusive learning possibilities in Dublin and to showcase the many organisations working to break barriers to education through a wide range of educational events.

Three-day festival celebrating Lifelong Learning takes place in Trinity

The festival was officially launched at an event in St Andrew’s Resource Centre on Pearse Street on Monday.

Mother and daughter Ailish Smith and Keely Jenkinson (pictured below), who came to Trinity through the Trinity Access Programmes (TAP) Foundation course, were among the speakers at the event.

Ailish, who was encouraged to go to college by her daughter, said: “Returning to education was the best thing I have ever done."

Following the Festival’s theme (Free, Fun and For Everyone), tours, workshops, exhibitions, talks and many other activities that focus on learning were made accessible to all in Dublin.

Wendy Crampton, TAP Director, stated: "I am thrilled to see Dublin Learning City 2024 come to life. This fantastic event supports and establishes a culture of inclusion in education that will positively impact the communities and groups we work with."

This week Trinity has hosted a range of events including TAP campus tours with community groups from the Ballyfermot/Chapelizod Partnership, workshops with Trinity disAbility service and a Community Learning Fair focusing on alternative entry routes to Trinity.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Daithí de Róiste officially opening the festival, commented: “Dublin Learning City Festival really showcases the focus and commitment of all involved parties to make Dublin an inclusive city for all who call it home, through the means of education. We must all take the key messages of this week with us throughout the rest of the year and allow for new and old educational opportunities in our community to thrive.”

Dublin was established as a Learning City as defined by UNESCO in 2019 and received the UNESCO Learning City Award in 2021. The aim of the Dublin Learning City initiative is to ensure that education and learning is accessible for all individuals, regardless of background.

The project is fully funded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) Access Initiative that brings together people and organisations including the main education providers (UCD, Trinity, NCAD, Marino Institute, IADT & RCSI) to work targeting socially disadvantaged learners and encourage and support them to take up learning opportunities at all stages of their lives.

For more information on the Dublin Learning City Festival, visit the Dublin Learning City website.