The free online learning provider, ALISON has been nominated by the Irish Government Department of Education for the 2010 UNESCO King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa Prize for the Use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Education. The prize, funded by the Kingdom of Bahrain, will be awarded for the fifth time at a ceremony that will take place at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris on 12 January 2011.

The competition is intended to reward individuals, institutions or non-governmental organizations for projects and activities that creatively uses ICT to enhance learning, teaching and overall educational performance.

The prize, which is awarded every year, consists of a diploma and US$50,000 to be divided equally between two prizewinners. The 2010 award theme is “Digital Literacy: Preparing Adult Learners for Lifelong Learning and Flexible Employment” and is intended by UNESCO to draw attention to the critical role of adult education in the development of an inclusive, participatory and sustainable society.

ALISON has been nominated due to it mission to enable anyone, anywhere, to educate themselves for free via online interactive multimedia. The learning platform offers over 200 free courses in a wide variety of subjects including IT, English Language and Health and Safety to its 500,000 registered learners worldwide, 70,000 of which reside in the Middle East.

Speaking after the nomination announcement was made ALISON CEO Mike Feerick said “While the continued and enthusiastic international acceptance of our service is important to us, it is also greatly appreciated to have the official endorsement and support from one’s own government” …”

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