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LCEN What We Do
Mission

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  • Represent 15 organisations and 3000 adults in Limerick City.

  • Work collectively in the provision of Community Adult Education.

  • Share information, knowledge and resources and explore and share good practice within Community Education.

  • Support members in the provision of Quality Assured Community Education

  • Work in collaboration with local, regional and national organisations to advocate for Community Education

LCEN will provide a forum for those committed to Adult Community Education values by working together to share resources and good practice, avoiding duplication and raising awareness of the value of Adult Community Education. It will ensure that community education is resourced, valued and understood and that the highest standards for learners are

maintained at all times

 

Vision: Our vision is that all adults, including those experiencing social and economic exclusion, have access to quality learning opportunities in their own community. 

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  • Celebrated their 25th Anniversary in 2019 and continue to work together to provide quality education to learners in communities across the city

  • 7 Community Groups have  re-engaged with QQI as Outreach Centres of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board

  • Published Research into the Social Value of Community education in collaboration with LCETB.

  • Membership of Aontas Community Education Network(CEN) and CEN steering group member.

  • Sustained funding for Development Worker through Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board.

  • Annual participants in Aontas and Lmerick Lifelong Learning Festivals.

  • Highlighting adult learner achievements through initiatives e.g. Production of Tackies, Rushers and Peggy’s leg booklet of childhood stories by adult learner.

  • Winners of Aontas STAR award in 2012 in recognition of the positive contribution LCEN has made to local community and society.

  • Winners of Best Performance entry in St. Patricks Day Parade

  • Involved in a number of city wide events including Music Cafe, Culture Night and Art and Craft exhibition " Journeys"

 

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Community Education is adult learning and social development in local communities. It is inclusive, locally-based, affordable, and is developed with communities in response to their needs and is aimed at improving educational opportunities and quality of life.

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The model of community education that has evolved in Limerick City over the past 15 years can be described as a broad based, bottom-up, co-production model. Co-production is a process where professionals and citizens contribute their skills and expertise to service development. In doing so, it seeks to ensure that services are built on citizens’ strengths and respond effectively to their needs. Co-production moves beyond traditional forms of consultation towards active partnership and acknowledges “the expert by experience working alongside the expert by profession”15.

The model adopted in Limerick City has, since 2012, been informed by the Department of Education and Skills’ Operational Guidelines for Providers. These set out the definition and scope of Community Education and provide broad direction for its management and delivery. The Guidelines emphasise that community education enables civil society to play a key role in education, with local groups taking responsibility for organising courses, deciding on programme content and delivering tuition.

The Limerick City model of Community Education is multilayered, with interconnecting structures and processes across multiple stakeholders. This leads to highly collaborative, inclusive and community-led provision. Some important features are listed below.

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  • Partnership (through co-production)

  •  Locally-led

  • Learner support

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