Green learning
Tuesday, 23 February 2010
About
The idea of sustainable living has come to the fore in recent years. Green Learning day takes place
on Tuesday and highlights the role adult learning can play in creating green citizens. Adult learning
initiatives are encouraged launch a community garden, hold a sustainable living workshop or have a
taster gardening lesson.
Event & Activity Ideas
Footprint Calculator
Footprint calculators help us think about the ways our lifestyle affects the environment and help to
find ways to reduce our impact. Why not encourage learners in your centre to find out their carbon
footprint? A sample calculator is available at www.change.ie. You can combine it with an IT sample
class or follow it with a workshop on reducing your carbon footprint.
On Your Bike!
Cycling is also the least polluting way of travelling after walking. Ten bikes can be parked in the space
of one car and 2kg of carbon are saved for every short journey that is made using a bike instead
of a car. As part of Green Learning Day, why not encourage cycling by offering a range of hands-on
activities e.g. puncture repair, fitting a bell, fitting lights, putting chain back on.
Get Gardening
Gardening is a way to relax, get excercise and grow your own food! To mark Green Learning Day you
can hold a gardening demonstration, launch a community garden or start at the basics and plant a
herb garden! Why not inspire participants by holding a cooking demonstration using fresh produce
from the garden!
Making Your Garden Environmentally Friendly
Take an hour's walk in a green space and use it to consider practical ideas for making even the
smallest garden environmentally‐friendly choosing suitable plants, composting, insect and hedgehog
'hotels', water features, organic alternatives and more! Ask a local garden designer or a local college
if they have any garden tutors that would be happy to guide the walk. There may even be a green
expert in your own organisation.
Energy Saver Quiz
How much do you know about saving energy? Test your knowledge by developing a short quiz about
environmental issues and energy saving. There are two short sample questions below or visit www.
askaboutireland.ie for environmental facts and figures:
1. What percentage of the heating in a house can be lost through...
The windows? Is it 20% or 30%
The walls? Is it 25% or 45%
The roof? Is it 15% or 33%
2. Turning the heating down by 1 degree cuts heating bills by:
5% or 10%
Quick Fixes
- Hold a workshop on job seeking skills in partnership with local organisations
- 'Meet the Tutors' Set up an information stand in your local shopping centre or canteen to
attract potential adult learners
- Include a crossword or information on learning opportunities with staff payslips
- Organise a taster class or demonstration for potential learners
- Behind the scenes....at the museum / at the university / at the library / at the art gallery
- Launch adult learning research or statistics
- E-mail your local and national politicians about your concerns for the adult learning sector
Useful Contacts
- The Cultivate Centre (www.cultivate.ie)
- Grow it Yourself Ireland (www.giyireland.com)
- ENFO (www.askaboutireland.ie)
AONTAS Can Help!
We understand that it's often difficult to find the time to hold an event or run an activity so AONTAS have put a number of resources in place to make it as easy as possible for your organisation to become involved in the Adult Learners' Festival 2010.
- An Event in a Bag jampacked with everything you need to promote your event
- A local contact in each area to share their knowledge and experience
- Activity and Event ideas on www.adultlearnersfestival.com
- Calendar of Events at www.adultlearnersfestival.com
- AONTAS staff on hand for any guidance and assitance you might need
Don't have the time to organise an event or activity from scratch? You can still be part of the
Adult Learners' Festival by scheduling an existing event during the festival week.
