Plan Be: Active Senior Volunteers Erasmus Project

Project Title

Plan Be: Active Senior Volunteers

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Pedagogy and didactics; EU Citizenship, EU awareness and Democracy

Project Summary

‘Plan Be: Active Senior Volunteers’ was a two year project between organizations (public and private) from Portugal, Italy, Slovenia and Finland, however the project was framed within a long-term perspective and planned with a view to achieve a multiplying effect and sustainable impact.

The EU is made of its citizens and for its citizens! Encouraging and facilitating citizens’ wider involvement in the European Union and what it stands for is of great importance.
The main aim of this project was to create high quality learning opportunities, through the exchange of methodological approaches between the involved partners, creating a strategic and innovative program to engage senior citizens in lifelong learning. The focus was on the promotion of an active ageing program through active citizenship and involvement in volunteer work and community activities, addressing issues such as European citizenship, nature and environment, interculturality, social inclusion, among others.
As 2015 was the European Year for Development, this project was a great opportunity to inspire more Europeans to get engaged and involved in development, stimulating a commitment to eradicate poverty, and demonstrating how senior volunteers can have a large contribute.

The project “Plan Be: Active Senior Volunteers” aimed at fostering active ageing and lifelong learning, with the support of four clear components:
1) fostering involvement in volunteer work and community activities as a key strategy for active ageing and european active citizenship;
2) developing and consolidating adult educators competences (knowledge, skills and attitude) in order to structure active ageing programme initiatives for senior citizens;
3) contributing to a positive impact on local development in a sustainable way, considering senior citizens as key agents;
4) contributing to the sense of belonging to Europe, as European Citizens, by creating a program with a transnational component.

The following main activities were performed:
– 5 transnational meetings (with elements from all the countries involved) which took place in the various countries involved, for project management and coordination;
– Mapping and Survey phase (statistics, challenges, good practices);
– Creation of the Plan Be Programme which included: Programme Design, Initial Staff Training (in Italy), Pilot Test with senior volunteers at local level (in all countries); Amendments and adjustments to the Programme; Blended Mobility of Senior Volunteers (In Slovenia);
– 4 Multiplier Events (one in each of the countries involved) to disseminate the project and its results;
– 1 Transnational Multiplier Event (Final Event) for dissemination of the project and its results (in Slovenia).

The project had a good geographical balance, involving 4 countries from Southern, Northern and Central Europe, which contributed to ensure a real European outreach of the project.

The project achieved sucessfully the objetives proposed, and recognizes the importance of promoting an open access to the project products. All materials are free downloadable in project website: http://planbeproject.com/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 197767,15 Eur

Project Coordinator

Freguesia de Cascais e Estoril & Country: PT

Project Partners

• Sinergia Società Cooperativa Sociale
• Kuusankosken Retkeilijät ry
• RAZVOJNO IZOBRAZEVALNI CENTER NOVOMESTO
• ASSOCIACAO ANIMAM VIVENTEM