Anne-Marie Rose is an exceptional and highly valued colleague at the Hagley Adult Literacy Centre (HALC), where she wears multiple hats with great competence. As a tutor, mentor, ACE Assistant, and Volunteer Coordinator, she manages these roles admirably. Anne-Marie initially joined HALC in 2010 as a tutor for the First Steps to Literacy course, which she taught for 11 years until late 2021. This course focuses on providing learning opportunities for individuals with intellectual impairments and mental health issues.

Currently, Anne-Marie tutors in HALC's Workplace Literacy and Numeracy programme, working individually with employees and apprentices. Additionally, she dedicates one day a week to tutoring the Literacy Pathways course in the forensics unit at Te Whatu Ora (Hillmorton Hospital), where she supports individuals with mental health challenges. Anne-Marie also tutors the Introduction to Volunteering ACE course, specifically designed for former refugees. With her tutoring experience and background as a counsellor/social worker, the course has proven highly successful in assisting learners in securing volunteering roles, which serve as a pathway to paid employment.

Throughout her many years as the First Steps tutor, Anne-Marie navigated challenging situations while maintaining the dignity and respect of her learners. She established guidelines and expectations within the classroom setting while addressing the diverse learning needs of each individual through group activities and the assistance of tutor assistants.

An integral part of the First Steps course involves nurturing learners' social, emotional, and behavioral skills. Anne-Marie fostered a sense of belonging and community among the learners, incorporating enjoyable activities like singing, gardening, cooking, and celebrating milestone events such as birthdays.

As a tutor, Anne-Marie exemplifies various qualities that ensure learners have enjoyable and valuable learning experiences. She excels at collaborative work, building rapport with her learners, and identifying areas where they need to focus. Her extensive expertise in literacy and numeracy education allows her to assist learners in improving their skills within meaningful contexts, greatly benefiting their work and life competencies.

Thanks to her extensive knowledge and expertise as a tutor, Anne-Marie serves as a natural mentor to new tutors at HALC. She generously shares her experiences during meetings and offers practical solutions. As part of HALC's internal reviews, she also observes tutors when necessary, acknowledging their skills while providing suggestions for teaching practices and appropriate resources.

Another hat Anne-Marie wears is that of ACE Assistant at HALC. In this role, she liaises with community groups that HALC has partnerships with, particularly those offering community-based courses. She provides support to HALC tutors teaching ACE courses in the evening at Te Puna Wai o Waipapa - Hagley College and organises ACE tutor meetings each term. As an active member of the ACE Ōtautahi network, Anne-Marie regularly attends network meetings, ensuring ongoing communication with other ACE providers and seizing opportunities for upskilling. She is truly an advocate for lifelong learning.

As a promoter for HALC and adult education in general, Anne-Marie actively participates in expos in Christchurch, such as the Next Steps expo for individuals with intellectual impairments and the Women's Health expo organised by the Christchurch Resettlement Service. She utilises these platforms to raise awareness about the ACE courses offered by HALC and encourages people to engage in various training opportunities. Her warm and engaging demeanor inspires individuals to enroll in courses and become lifelong learners themselves.

In her additional role as the centre's Volunteer Coordinator, Anne-Marie carries the responsibility of coordinating approximately fifty volunteers. Her tasks include recruiting, interviewing, and placing volunteers in appropriate courses, as well as providing ongoing training. She collaborates with HALC tutors to identify their volunteer needs in classes and assists with any related issues. Additionally, Anne-Marie maintains a volunteer database and matches volunteers with one-time tasks such as marketing, resource maintenance, and administrative support.

While fulfilling all these responsibilities at HALC, Anne-Marie consistently demonstrates a strong commitment to helping learners and colleagues alike. She is an incredible advocate for individuals with neurodiversity, tirelessly striving to achieve the best possible outcomes for her learners. Anne-Marie's tenure at HALC spans over 13 years, and her dedication and passion make her an invaluable member of the team. Hagley Adult Learning Centre considers themselves privileged to have such a devoted and inspiring educator as part of the organisation.

This award recognises an individual for outstanding service in, and contribution to, the development and delivery of adult and community education. It is intended to be a tribute for outstanding work in teaching, training, administration, or a combination of these.

Click here to see the full list of 2023 ACE Annual Award recipients.