Sunday 3 March - The learning festival

The Minister for Education and Science, Mr Michael Woods, launched this year's learning festival on Sunday 3 March in the Hub. It started at 2pm and ended at 5pm with a wine reception. Staff and students came along (with or without children) and enjoyed what was a colourful and entertaining event with samba bands, face painting and clowns. One of the purposes of this event is to recognise the work that has been done during the year by local people who have organised learning events throughout the year for the benefit of the area. DCU is playing its part in the festival by providing computer workshops, an internet café and a literary award taking place in the new library.

This is the third year of the North Dublin Loves Learning Festival that developed from the 'Building Learning Networks' seminar held 1999. The energy for previous festivals stemmed from NorDubCo, DCU and various local Partnership companies with local community groups organising activities and events for the festival. Following in Cabra/ Finglas Partnerships footsteps, this year it is the turn of the Northside Partnership to chair the festival Committee with continuing support from NorDubCo and DCU.

The overall objective of the Learning Festival is to raise awareness across the broad community of North Dublin of the increasing importance of life long learning in its different forms. It is also an opportunity for local groups to profile the opportunities to learn in their local area. It is hoped in the future the festival will grow and incorporate new groups and centres of learning enabling more people to access opportunities to learn.

Special thanks go to this years sponsor, Northwood. Northwood is an integrated urban development in Dublin, located on what was the old Santry Demesne, They are involved in a range of community initiatives including the Shelbourne Football Club / Larkin, V.E.C. Soccer Project, the Setanta / Radharc Initiative in Ballymun and in developing a community centre for the Santry Residents Association. Odran Reid of the Northside Partnership is the Festival Chair.

We wish everybody participating in the Festival the best of luck and to thank everyone who helped in the organisation of the festival.

For further information check out the Learning Festival website