The Impact of Our Adult Learning Programmes
As it’s Self Evaluation Week*, we’ve been taking a moment to reflect on the impact of our bursary-supported Adult Learning programmes across Scotland and there’s a lot to be proud of.
Over the last 12 months through our bursary-supported programmes**, Social Enterprise Academy has supported:
- 521 learners
- 263 organisations
- 1,586 learner days
These are brilliant numbers, but the real story sits behind them. It’s the New Scots leaders building confidence, skills and networks to support their communities. It’s the refugee women in Inverclyde stepping into leadership, growing their confidence and shaping the future of their own peer support network. It’s social enterprises in the Highlands and Islands coming together through residential learning to explore sustainability, income generation and how they keep making a difference in their communities. It’s leaders working across youth work, employability, climate action, childcare, culture, anti-poverty work and community development getting the time and space to pause, reflect and think differently.
Some of the wins this year have been brilliant to see.
We’ve delivered leadership development with partners including Youth Scotland, Wise Group, Rape Crisis Scotland, Museums Galleries Scotland, Indigo Childcare and Scottish Refugee Council.
We’ve supported sustainability-focused learning with organisations working in bike reuse, active travel, community food, climate action and social enterprise development.
We’ve continued important work with Gaelic communities, including a cross-cultural programme bringing Scottish Gaelic and Irish Gaeilge speakers together to explore language, enterprise and sustainability.
For us, self-evaluation is not just about counting what happened. It’s about understanding what changed and thinking about:-
- What worked?
- What did people take away?
- Where did confidence grow?
- Where did organisations become stronger?
- What do we need to do differently next time?
One key piece of learning this year has been around format. Residential learning, online sessions, one-day workshops and blended approaches all work differently depending on the group, place and purpose. Getting that right matters because ultimately leadership development is not a nice extra. For many social enterprises and community organisations, it is what helps people keep going, adapt, lead well and create lasting impact in difficult times.
A huge thank you to our learners, facilitators, partners and team who have made this work possible.
Lots to celebrate, lots to learn and plenty to build on, we have a big year ahead and we are only just getting started!
You can keep up to date with us here on our blog and on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/social-enterprise-academy
You can find upcoming programmes here: Social Enterprise Academy
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*Self-Evaluation Week is a celebration of 21 years of Evaluation Support Scotland. Find out more at: Self-Evaluation Week – Evaluation Support Scotland
**Funding from the Scottish Government provides bursary-supported places on our programmes