International Adult Learners’ Week

International Adult Learners’ Week (IALW) 2010 in Canada will be held from March 1st through March 7th.

Background and History

Around the world, adult learning and literacy festivals and events share a common purpose – they are advocacy tools for raising the profile of adult learners and lifelong learning; they mobilize individuals to take advantage of the multitude of learning opportunities open to them; and they serve as a reminder that adult learning can be a powerful instrument for change.

Delegates to the Fifth International Conference on Adult Education (CONFINTEA V), held in Hamburg in July 1997, committed themselves to promoting the development of a United Nations Adult Learners’ Week. International Adult Learners’ Week (IALW) was officially launched by UNESCO on September 8, 2000. The pioneers of Adult Learners’ Week understood that the most effective way to underscore the importance of lifelong learning was to give adult learners themselves the chance to express their views, describe their challenges, and document their success stories.