The annual theme emphasises the role of pivotal European policy initiatives such as the European Education Area and the New European Agenda for Adult Learning (NEAAL) in driving transformation at both personal and professional levels.
Throughout the year, EAEA will actively gather exemplary practices and formulate policy recommendations, engaging with policymakers and stakeholders. The theme resonates with EAEA’s ongoing efforts in future-oriented transformative ALE, mainly propelled by the FutureLabAE project. By placing a spotlight on how ALE can transform individual lives, communities, and society, EAEA aims to foster discussions, capacity-building, and communication activities that drive positive change. The three main goals of this year’s theme include:
- Promote the understanding of Adult Learning’s transformative potential in fostering societal change and inclusion.
- Advocate for the integration of ALE policies into key European frameworks to support just green and digital transitions.
- Facilitate the exchange of best practices and policy recommendations to empower adult learners and educators across Europe.
Key activities in 2024
Throughout the year, EAEA will explore the theme of transformation from different angles.
- The call for the Grundtvig Award will invite adult learning organisations from across Europe to share best examples of how adult learning can transform lives, communities and society.
- The Annual Conference, organised jointly with the Grundtvig Award Ceremony on 11-12 June in Helsinki, will bring together learners, practitioners, researchers and policymakers to exchange on the impact of adult learning in Europe and beyond. During the events, participants will look at the transformative power of learning in the context of global challenges such as green transition, migration and social change.
- The EAEA podcast Beyond Learning will continue to bring forward grassroots perspectives in adult learning and education. In 2024, EAEA will visit diverse spaces for learning across Europe, ranging from classrooms to public gardens, social enterprises, cafes, exhibitions and art performances, to discuss how learning can help foster a sense of belonging, and its power to transform communities.
EAEA will close the theme at the end of the year with a paper that will collect the different perspectives on how adult learning transforms lives, communities and society, and a set of policy recommendations.