Key characteristics of informal education practice in relation to ALAC/Take Part

This article draws on the experience of informal educators working with a variety of community based groups as part of the Active Learning for Active Citizenship pilot and identifies three key characteristics of informal education. It makes a case for the role of the facilitator in enabling education and empowerment and contributing to the development of capital, particularly that of social capital making a case for the ongoing role of informal educators in the context of current social policy initiatives.