ALADDIN and the intergenerational lamp Erasmus Project

Project Title

ALADDIN and the intergenerational lamp

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

Two years were needed to set up “Aladdin and the Intergenerational lamp”, the Erasmus plus project. Five European partner organizations have been working together to learn about the way storytelling can be used by seniors to improve language, motivational and entrepreneurial skills in young adults from underprivileged backgrounds. This project can thus be summed up in two key concepts: the use of storytelling in an intergenerational context.
The different partners of the project have gathered their skills and developed a theoretical background as well as a methodology (encompassing interactive and fun activities) using stories and short story techniques. In this way, the senior volunteers, firstly, received a training on how to work with young adults and how to use methods of storytelling to improve the skills mentioned above, and finally intergenerational workshops were set up to allow the volunteer seniors to act as co-leaders.
Elan Interculturel (France) and DEMÀ – Departament d’Estudis dels Medis Actuals (Catalonia) – have based their work on the development of motivational skills. Storytelling Center (Netherlands) and Superact (England) have organised workshops to develop entrepreneurial skills.

The Aladdin project has two main objectives:
– the development of basic skills (language, entrepreneurial and social skills) as well as the underprivileged young adults’ personal wellbeing.
– giving value to seniors’ skills as well as acquiring new skills (short storytelling techniques’)

Superact (United Kingdom) and the Storytelling Center (Netherlands) are experts in all kinds of activities related to storytelling. Superact (UK) sets up training courses for adults and young people in precarious situations, organizes large-scale events, and develops training and storytelling materials as an educational tool. The Storytelling Center (PB) organizes project design and implementation workshops; it also offers training programs around storytelling techniques in (conflicting) communities.
Kepes (Hungary), Elan Interculturel (France), DEMA (Spain), Superact (United Kingdom) all have experience in working with Seniors and especially in intergenerational projects. The Storytelling Center (PB) and Elan Interculturel (FR) have experience in working with young people. Elan Interculturel (FR) is an expert in the field of intercultural communication, and all partners have experience in working with immigrants and / or minorities.

Activities:
– “National Info Day” held in each partner country to inform participants about the project’s objectives, to present the various publications, products and activities within the framework of the project,
– The senior workshop to teach them to use storytelling as a pedagogical approach to disadvantaged young adults,
– Intergenerational workshops to develop language skills of young migrants adult, or entrepreneurial and motivational skills of disadvantaged young adults, using storytelling methods,
– An international final conference, which disseminated project results and products to stakeholders and other target groups for operational purposes.

Results:
o A theoretical and methodological booklet on the foundations of the project
o A tool box: (exercises, games) based on short stories.
o A Guide for Seniors including resources needed for the organizer of intergenerational workshops
o A collection of intercultural stories to illustrate cultural diversity and highlight the similarities between cultures
o A booklet of case studies coupled with videos made during different workshops
o A dynamic, multilingual website with online educational resources
o Social networks
o 6 newsletters

Young adults have thus increased their cultural and communication skills, their self-confidence, and, consequently, the improvement of their social inclusion. In addition to acquiring concrete skills on how to organize such workshops and develop storytelling training skills, this project has had a positive influence on senior volunteers’ self-esteem (the feeling of being “useful”) and avoids isolation.
The participating organizations have acquired new skills, resources and networks at local, regional, European and international level. In the long run, many participants wish to continue the activities after the project, in different ways.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 273685,44 Eur

Project Coordinator

ELAN INTERCULTUREL & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Storytelling Centre
• SUPERACT! COMMUNITY INTEREST COMPANY
• Associació Departament d’Estudis dels Medis Actuals
• Képes Alapítvány – a szociális és érzelmi készségfejlesztésért