The 2023 workshops represent a significant part of the work ACE Aotearoa does to enhance quality education for ākonga (learners) in adult and community education in New Zealand. Driven by sector needs from direct feedback, our professional development grants and the sectorwide survey the workshops aim to address the current and future needs of educators and providers.
With the underlying purpose of bringing educators together within communities, the workshops also aim to allow them to share practice and purpose. This collaboration among educators enables them to work more effectively for the benefit of ākonga.
The ACE Teaching Standards have been a focus of many of our workshops, including our Successfully Teaching Adults, Implementing the Standards and Leading through Quality ACE Teaching Standards workshops. Through these workshops the aim is to elevate the quality of educational provision. Many discussions arise from these workshops on how to improve education practices and options for collaboration between services in the community. This year, ACE Aotearoa has engaged 259 adult educators with a continual focus on assessing the impact on ākonga.
As part of the Successfully Teaching Adults workshops, led by Jennifer Leahy, the participants receive a Certificate of Achievement which acknowledges their skill and expertise in adult and community education. In 2023, 138 certificates were awarded, contributing to the quality assurance of 42 ACE providers.
In 2023 we have also been able to provide a workshop on Supporting Neurodiverse Learners, led by Nigel Sutton. The workshops give educators the strategies and tools to effectively support learners with neurodiversity, ensuring inclusive learning environments. The continued positive reception of these workshops and the opportunity for participants to engage directly by asking questions, emphasise their relevance and usefulness.
Our Te Reo Māori workshops, facilitated by Te Ataahia Hurihanganui, also continue to be popular. They are designed to provide practical ways of integrating te reo in adult education.
ACE Aotearoa also provides workshops that are requested by the ACE sector including Empowering Community Participation in NZ Elections and Crafting an Effective Social Media Strategy. We appreciate being able to respond to sector needs and aim to do so within our capability.
Our planning for 2024 has commenced with workshops already scheduled. We listened to the feedback from the ACE Sector Professional Development Needs survey to help guide our work. We welcome requests from the sector for future workshops and continue to use the Tertiary Education Commission funding to find ways to address the priorities in the Tertiary Education Strategy 2020, while meeting ACE sector needs.