“The change is in the simple things like finding laughter again, doing family shopping, going back to work, being part of a group where once they were hermits.” – says Alice McDonnel about the impact of “Self-care and well-being” project, which participated in Grundtvig Award 2019 on Life Skills, on the participants. The idea of the initiative is underpinned by principles of co-production, mutual trust, and empathy. In the following interview, Alice tells more about the experience.

The 6th International Winter School on Comparative Studies on Adult and Lifelong Learning took place in Würzburg, Germany in February 2019. For the first time, adult education practitioners we able to join the programme. EAEA’s Silvia Tursi, who previously participated in the school as a student and now joined the programme as a practitioner, looks back on the experience. Applications to Winter School 2020 are now accepted!

In the world of rapid technological advancement, how to make sure those with low digital skills do not get excluded? Older adults appear to be in greater danger of exclusion due to the challenges they experience when it comes to new technology. The European project ISEV tackles the issue by organizing intergenerational learning activities, for seniors to get to know modern tools and for youth to experience coaching roles. The project participated in GRUNDTVIG AWARD 2019, and now Marek Rembowski from Fondazione Mondo Digitale tells us more about it.

The project “Learning with the whole family” tackles the issue of inclusion of people with disabilities in the society through addressing their parents and building their capacity for project-management. However, that is not it… The project involved young people with disabilities in learning to help them advocate for their own rights. Below, Volha Salanovich from the organization “Nadezhda” (meaning “hope”) shares more details about the project and its impact.

Theatre never goes out of fashion, and even more, theatre never gets old. The project “Mobilizing seniors on and off the stage” in Poland, the participant of GRUNDTVIG AWARD 2019 in the national category, proved that music and play can bring joy and happiness no matter the age. Here Nina Woderska and Kinga Mistrzak, the project organizers, talk about the ideas behind it and the effect the project had on its target group.

Education and lifelong learning can ensure the wellbeing of people in different circumstances and with different needs. The EAEA GRUNDTVIG AWARD 2019 participant, project “Learn to manage finances by ourselves” in Belarus, explored the opportunities of teaching visually impaired people a range of ICT skills for them to become more independent, experience learning in a safe and friendly atmosphere, and realize the value of constant self-development. Besides that, the project had an essential impact on the image of disabled people in Belarussian society. In the interview, Mikhail Antonenko, the head of the Centre of Successful People in Minsk, briefly talks about the project and its outcomes.

Is it ever too late to play games? Definitely not, especially if games lead to personal, professional and social development. The creators of “World of Communities” game, a participant of GRUNDTVIG AWARD 2019 on Life Skills, believe that through real-life modelling and communication with others individuals can increase their job-, community- and personality-related skills. According to Nataliia Harasivka, the project manager, between 10 and 15 game engagements lead to successful results. Read more in our interview with Nataliia.

How to prepare young people for the job market of the future? How to teach young adults about the world that is still evolving? A GRUNDTVIG  AWARD 2019 participant, project Future Time Traveller, addressed the questions through a creative state-of-the-art learning approach and offered learners an opportunity to imagine the future and what world of work will look like. Gergana Rakovska from Business Foundation for Education tells more about the fascinating work that the project partners have done.

It is true that leadership styles define the working atmosphere and essentially influence the well-being of employees. Therefore, it is crucial for leaders of today to hold such personal and interpersonal skills that would ensure openness and understanding, encourage initiative and creativity, provide people with a sense of safety and belonging. The project SeitenWechsel, a participant of GRUNDTVIG AWARD 2019 on LifeSkills, applied an unconventional approach to training managers and other staff for them to become more responsive leaders. Read our interview with Renata Kubova, the programme manager, in which she tells more about the training.

Even though the percentage of adults in education is growing every year, there is still a big group of people out of learning. As shown by statistics, normally the ones who are left out of education are the ones that need it the most – low-educated individuals, for whom education has become unobtainable not only due to their social and economic status but also due to inner barriers of fear and shame, and thus lack of motivation. The GRUNDTWIG AWARD 2019 participant, project LearnersMot, strives to help low-educated adults develop their primary motivation to get involved in learning through the use of ICT tools and modern teaching methods. In the following interview, Ana Herranz from Edensol, Spain, told us more about the project.