Successful adult education strategies, initiatives and projects do not happen in isolation. Cooperations and partnerships are becoming more and more important and often contribute to more innovation, better provision and more participants in adult education.
To raise awareness about the importance of cooperation in adult education, EAEA awarded three projects highly successful in fostering cooperations and partnerships.
The winner of the national category, a network of regional coordinators led by ANDRAS in Estonia, is a regional project aimed at encouraging people to learn and thus increase the participation in lifelong learning. Members of the network organised the events of the Adult Learners Week in their county, collected and disseminated success stories, and made sure that support activities were brought to learners’ doorsteps. In promoting adult education, ANDRAS cooperated closely with a number of partners, such as vocational schools, upper secondary schools for adults, training companies. The network is an example of a long-term and highly reliable partnership which has allowed to promote adult education efficiently in a broader social context.
The winner of the European category, Skills for Inclusion, led by Associazione Agrado, gathered the expertise of different European partners with the aim of introducing digital innovation to the education of socially disadvantaged groups, inmates. They also improved the competences of educators in international cooperation and non-formal education methods. The project serves as an example of multi-sectoral cooperation: an NGO, a social cooperative, a small company and a prison.
The winner of the international category, DVV International Laos‘s project focused on professionalisation of adult education staff as there is a lack of qualified teachers and trainers at all segments of non-formal education in the area. Now the graduates are considered to be the first expert trainers in teaching and learning of youth and adults in their organisations. The project presents a wide range of partnerships and cooperations within the Asia Pacific region, with stakeholders from different sectors. The focus has a clear influence on adult education system and professionalisation of adult education staff in the region.
The winning projects were selected by a jury consisting of EAEA Executive Board Members. The winners were announced on 27 June 2018, by the EAEA President Per Paludan Hansen. The award ceremony took place in the Tallinn Town Hall and was a part of the EAEA General Assembly and Annual Conference.
Background
The EAEA Grundtvig Award was launched in 2003 by EAEA in order to recognise and celebrate excellence in adult education. It highlights project results that produce new ideas, new partnerships, new methodologies and a new understanding of how we can work in adult learning.
Contact information / EAEA:
Gina Ebner
EAEA Secretary-General
+32 (0)2 893 25 24
gina.ebner(a)eaea.org
Helka Repo
EAEA Communications Officer
+358 40 511 24 75
eaea-info(a)eaea.org
Contact information / ANDRAS
Sirje Plaks
letraspravida(a)sec.pt
Contact information / SK.IN – Skills for Inclusion
Laris Guerri
laris.guerri(a)gmail.com
Contact information / DVV International Laos
Beykham Saleumsouk
saleumsouk(a)dvv-international.la