The Horticulture LTI won an AONTAS STAR Award last week in the category of Adult Learning Initiatives that Promote Learner Well being. The mission of AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation, is to advocate for the right of all adults in Ireland to quality learning throughout their lives, and to promote the value and benefits of lifelong learning. The STAR Awards are presented by AONTAS to outstanding, learner-centred adult education initiatives that demonstrate high levels of collaboration amongst participant groups.
The Horticulture LTI is a community based horticulture-training programme, which is funded and supported by the Cork Training Centre. This programme is run in partnership with The Bessborough Centre and it aims to promote social inclusion, personal fulfilment, improved wellbeing and progression.
How do we promote learner wellbeing?
We strive to maintain a learning environment that is positive, nurturing, inclusive, fun and meaningful for our learners. The social and therapeutic benefits of learning horticulture are fully integrated into our curriculum design to promote learner well being. Our curriculum supports the learners to build positive peer-learning relationships, to connect to place through landscape photography, to develop a love of learning by understanding how adults learn, to enjoy the physical benefits of project-based horticulture training and to give back through various community fundraising events.
