Awards for adult learners at event
During the week-long celebrations of Adult Learning, awards are given to Outstanding Adult Learner, Exceptional Educator and Innovative Provider at the Awards event.
This year, awards winners are being announced at noon at the Festival of Adult Learning expo — The Hub, Gordon Street, Dannevirke.
This year we have nominees for both Outstanding Adult Learner and Exceptional Educator from the same programme.
Elspeth Atkinson runs an art course at the Dannevirke Art Society Clubrooms.
This year-long course covers skills such as visual thinking, composition, colour theory and techniques.
Elspeth’s background is as a fine arts graduate from the Ilam School of Fine Arts — Canterbury University.
She has 38 years of teaching experience in New Zealand Secondary schools. She is currently a practicing painter working from her studio in Dannevirke.
Elspeth has been nominated for the Exceptional Educator award by her entire class this year.
Her students talk of her excellent teaching skills, her ability to inspire her students and her wealth of knowledge.
They are all in agreement that her previous teaching background enables her to pass on her knowledge in an enjoyable, non-judgmental manner, making the students learning journey a pleasure.
One of Elspeth’s students, Hoani Maru, has been nominated for the Outstanding Adult Learner award. Hoani has been learning Creative Journalling at the Manawarangi Centre this year. He is always positive and open to learning new skills, setting a benchmark for those around him.
Over the course he has handled a wide range of technical procedures with a calm and thoughtful attitude. Hoani has covered all skills offered in the course and has always done this to the best of his ability. He is always an asset to the class.
These are just two of the nominees from the area. To find out who else has been nominated come to the awards presentation. The event runs for approximately an hour.