UNESCO Learning City Awardee 2024Cork, Ireland
As Ireland’s second-largest city, Cork embraces lifelong learning as a pathway to economic growth, social inclusion, and reducing inequalities.
Cork City has a vibrant, inclusive, quality infrastructure of education from basic to higher education and is home to enthusiastic, involved and committed learning communities.
From an annual lifelong learning festival to learning neighbourhoods or targeted initiatives for marginalized groups, Cork exemplifies how collaboration, strategic funding, and innovation can promote equitable and inclusive education opportunities for all.
Cork City has a vibrant, inclusive, quality infrastructure of education from basic to higher education and is home to enthusiastic, involved and committed learning communities.
From an annual lifelong learning festival to learning neighbourhoods or targeted initiatives for marginalized groups, Cork exemplifies how collaboration, strategic funding, and innovation can promote equitable and inclusive education opportunities for all.
Dan BoyleLord Mayor
Partnerships as a driver of lifelong learning
Lifelong learning in Cork is a collaborative endeavour. Giving an equal voice to all learning stakeholders – whether big or small – is central to the thriving learning city.
Oversight of Cork’s learning initiatives is managed by the Cork Learning City Steering Group, which ensures alignment with local and national priorities.
Cork Learning City Steering Group members:
Oversight of Cork’s learning initiatives is managed by the Cork Learning City Steering Group, which ensures alignment with local and national priorities.
Cork Learning City Steering Group members:
Lifelong Learning Festival: A celebration of learning
Cork’s annual Lifelong Learning Festival has been a cornerstone of its learning city strategy since 2004, with over 410 free events held citywide in 2024.
Celebrating learning of all kinds, the festival caters to people of all ages, interests, and abilities. Events range from skill-sharing workshops to creative performances and cultural exhibitions, all hosted by festival partners. The visibility of the festival has attracted significant private-sector support, including monetary sponsorships and media partnerships, amplifying its reach and impact.
Celebrating learning of all kinds, the festival caters to people of all ages, interests, and abilities. Events range from skill-sharing workshops to creative performances and cultural exhibitions, all hosted by festival partners. The visibility of the festival has attracted significant private-sector support, including monetary sponsorships and media partnerships, amplifying its reach and impact.
Honouring lifelong learning champions
The Cork Celebrates Lifelong Learning Awards, introduced in 2020, highlight stories of resilience, innovation, and achievement in lifelong learning. Supported by a wide range of city partners, these awards have received over 200 nominations, showcasing the transformative power of education in Cork’s communities.
Learning Neighbourhoods: Building community through education
Cork’s Learning Neighbourhoods initiative began as a pilot project in 2015 and has since expanded to include seven disadvantaged communities.
These neighbourhoods are defined by their commitment to creating inclusive, diverse learning opportunities for all residents.
Local leadership groups, in partnership with residents, co-create learning programmes tailored to community needs.
Evaluation of the Learning Neighbourhoods project has shown a significant "paradigm shift" in residents' attitudes toward learning, with increased participation and engagement. Mentorship programmes, led by locally based mentors, further support access to education by providing trusted guidance and resources for navigating learning opportunities.
These neighbourhoods are defined by their commitment to creating inclusive, diverse learning opportunities for all residents.
Local leadership groups, in partnership with residents, co-create learning programmes tailored to community needs.
Evaluation of the Learning Neighbourhoods project has shown a significant "paradigm shift" in residents' attitudes toward learning, with increased participation and engagement. Mentorship programmes, led by locally based mentors, further support access to education by providing trusted guidance and resources for navigating learning opportunities.
Higher Education Institutions driving lifelong learning
Cork’s two universities—University College Cork (UCC) and Munster Technological University (MTU)—play a pivotal role in the city’s lifelong learning ecosystem.
UCC’s Adult Continuing Education programme engaged over 1,700 students in 2022-2023, fostering access to higher education for non-traditional learners.
Similarly, MTU’s part-time student population includes thousands of individuals participating in access programmes and continued professional development. The university’s Access Service has also pioneered award-winning initiatives like ‘The Open Door’, a pop-up restaurant in Cork Prison, and a graduate network for the Traveller community.
These partnerships extend beyond campus, with both universities actively collaborating on community-focused programmes. For example, MTU’s Cork Prison Lecture Series has engaged 56 participants, while UCC’s University-Wide Module on Sustainability provides a model for cultivating sustainability citizenship.
UCC’s Adult Continuing Education programme engaged over 1,700 students in 2022-2023, fostering access to higher education for non-traditional learners.
Similarly, MTU’s part-time student population includes thousands of individuals participating in access programmes and continued professional development. The university’s Access Service has also pioneered award-winning initiatives like ‘The Open Door’, a pop-up restaurant in Cork Prison, and a graduate network for the Traveller community.
These partnerships extend beyond campus, with both universities actively collaborating on community-focused programmes. For example, MTU’s Cork Prison Lecture Series has engaged 56 participants, while UCC’s University-Wide Module on Sustainability provides a model for cultivating sustainability citizenship.
Inclusion initiatives: Breaking barriers to learning
Cork leads the way in creating tailored programmes for marginalized groups.
The Traveller and Roma Inter-Agency Group tackles educational underrepresentation by employing advocates from within the Traveller community, delivering educational interventions across 20 schools, and co-designing leadership programmes for Traveller women.
The Cork Migrant Centre engages young immigrants in education and cultural activities, exemplified by the award-winning Youth Against Racism Initiative.
Prison education initiatives provide inmates and their families with literacy and vocational training.
The Traveller and Roma Inter-Agency Group tackles educational underrepresentation by employing advocates from within the Traveller community, delivering educational interventions across 20 schools, and co-designing leadership programmes for Traveller women.
The Cork Migrant Centre engages young immigrants in education and cultural activities, exemplified by the award-winning Youth Against Racism Initiative.
Prison education initiatives provide inmates and their families with literacy and vocational training.
Edel CunninghamEducator and head teacher at the Prison Education Service
Dillons Cross Project
The Dillons Cross Project, run by the Education Unit at Cork Prison, is an initiative focused on creating educational opportunities for women who are relatives of current or former prisoners.
Catherine Donavan Learner with the Dillons Cross Project
The Shared Learning Island Initiative: Promoting peace and collaboration
The Our Shared Learning Island initiative reflects Cork’s dedication to fostering unity across the island of Ireland.
Beginning with collaboration between Cork and Belfast in 2008, this initiative has grown to include six learning cities that host exchange programmes promoting cultural understanding and mutual respect.
Activities like boat-building and rowing programmes have bridged divides between communities historically affected by conflict, showcasing how lifelong learning can support peacebuilding efforts.
Beginning with collaboration between Cork and Belfast in 2008, this initiative has grown to include six learning cities that host exchange programmes promoting cultural understanding and mutual respect.
Activities like boat-building and rowing programmes have bridged divides between communities historically affected by conflict, showcasing how lifelong learning can support peacebuilding efforts.
A driver of international cooperation
Cork has been instrumental in advancing not only the Irish network of learning cities but also in supporting UNESCO learning cities worldwide in their efforts to make lifelong learning a reality for all.
Its International Learning City Seminar, held as part of the Lifelong Learning Festival, has drawn representatives from learning cities across the globe, eager to explore Cork's initiatives and share their own for mutual inspiration.
Its International Learning City Seminar, held as part of the Lifelong Learning Festival, has drawn representatives from learning cities across the globe, eager to explore Cork's initiatives and share their own for mutual inspiration.
A global example of lifelong learning
Cork’s alignment with the UNESCO Cork Call to Action, formally adopted in 2018, reinforces its commitment to building an equitable and inclusive learning city. From its robust governance structures to its innovative programmes, Cork’s dedication to lifelong learning is both sustainable and transformative.
As a UNESCO learning city, Cork continues to inspire communities locally and globally, demonstrating the power of education to create a more inclusive and connected society.
As a UNESCO learning city, Cork continues to inspire communities locally and globally, demonstrating the power of education to create a more inclusive and connected society.
The UNESCO Learning City Awards
The UNESCO Learning City Award was established to further promote lifelong learning for all and showcase good practices in building learning cities. It is conferred on cities that have achieved outstanding progress in this regard. All awardee cities have demonstrated best practices that lay the foundation for sustainable development.
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) supports and improves the practice of lifelong learning in member cities by promoting policy dialogue and peer learning, documenting effective strategies and good practice, fostering partnerships, providing capacity development, and developing tools and instruments to design, implement and monitor learning cities strategies.
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
© City of Cork; Nam Chau Ngo / Shutterstock.com; Pressmaster / Shutterstock.com; DimaBerlin / Shutterstock.com; Pu3n6 / Shutterstock.com; Gabriele_Dessi / Shutterstock.com; Getty Images Pro / Stock Good
UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities
© City of Cork; Nam Chau Ngo / Shutterstock.com; Pressmaster / Shutterstock.com; DimaBerlin / Shutterstock.com; Pu3n6 / Shutterstock.com; Gabriele_Dessi / Shutterstock.com; Getty Images Pro / Stock Good
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Cork, Ireland
Dan Boyle
Partnerships as a driver of lifelong learning
Lifelong Learning Festival: A celebration of learning
Honouring lifelong learning champions
Learning Neighbourhoods: Building community through education
Higher Education Institutions driving lifelong learning
Inclusion initiatives: Breaking barriers to learning
Edel Cunningham
Dillons Cross Project
Catherine Donavan
The Shared Learning Island Initiative: Promoting peace and collaboration
A driver of international cooperation
A global example of lifelong learning
The UNESCO Learning City Awards
The UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities