Inspiring adults to learn

GET LEARNING: Wairarapa REAP ACE Place hits Carterton during a circuit throughout Adult Learners Week of Wairarapa towns this week. Pictured at the Carterton Events Centre on Wednesday was Like Minds Like Me co-ordinator Corrinne Oliver (left) and Anita Coote of Wairarapa REAP.

The ACE Place roadshow is rounding the home straight on a journey through the region this week to help celebrate, promote and inspire adult education in Wairarapa.

Jude McNeur, Wairarapa REAP (Rural Education Activities Programme) spokeswoman, said the mobile ACE (Adult and Community Education) Place roadshow had travelled to Featherston, Martinborough, and Carterton through the first three days of this week and would end with stops in Masterton yesterday and Eketahuna today.

Mrs McNeur and Anita Coote were representing Wairarapa REAP on the circuit of the region this week and also took in tow Like Minds Like Mine co-ordinator Corrinne Oliver and Carol Wald of Literacy Wairarapa. The U3A (University of the 3rd Age) also went along for the ride, Mrs McNeur said.

"It's about achieving an educational outreach and engagement in the small towns, and getting to know what our people want to learn."

ACE Place representatives set up an education stall to which allcomers were made welcome and also set out to speak with retailers, shop assistants and other workers in the towns' CBDs to gauge their needs and preferences regarding continuing education.

The ACE Place also travelled with a Cam Couch and invited prospective students to chat on camera about what they would be seeking in adult education. The video footage of the interviews was being uploaded each day to the internet.

Passersby were also encouraged to contribute to an artwork the roadshow was also tripping throughout the district.

For more information and to view the Cam Couch footage go online to the website www.aceplace.waireap.org.nz