Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre

“Getting the opportunity to work with an international team and make a contribution to our learners was a great experience – supported by Erasmus+”.  

Patrick Creed – Director of Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre.  

In 2024, Bridge Mills Galway Language Centre began the Materials+ Project, an Erasmus+ Small-Scale Partnership in Adult Education. In collaboration with Trans Equality Network Ireland and Transylvanian Educational Services & Tourism (TEST), the project explored ways to improve the inclusivity of English language education materials for LGBTQ+ learners. 

The project organisers identified a significant gap in English-language educational materials. A survey of educators across Europe found that 43.8% considered their teaching resources to be “not inclusive at all.”

The Materials+ project sought to rectify this with a series of online webinars titled “Language for All: Creating LGBTQ+ Inclusive ELE Classrooms.” They also created free resources that educators could use to improve the inclusivity of their own language classrooms and give adult learners the skills to express their experiences.  

The project delivered positive outcomes for all involved. Project partner TEST remarked that the project helped them improve their own inclusivity in learning, whilst Bridge Mills Language Centre Operations Manager Teacher Gloria said, “My students love to be able to relate to the materials we use in my classroom”.  

The impact of this project will surely continue, both in the effect it had on students, teachers, and the ethos of allyship and respect fostered in these inclusive learning environments.