Body & Mind Academy Erasmus Project

Project Title

Body & Mind Academy

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 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; Creativity and culture; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The “Body & Mind Academy” project as well as its results were created for adults 50+ and professionals working in non-formal adult education sector (trainers, teachers, instructors, etc.). Due to the growing problem of population aging in European countries the project organizers considered it important to support these target groups. According to Eurostat forecasts, by 2060 there will be less than 2 people of working age (15-64 years) per every person aged 65 or older in the EU-27. Currently, there is 4 persons of working age for every senior. Years 2015-35 will see the most dynamic changes, when a significant part of the baby boomers are expected to retire.

It is known fact, that age is one of the factors that exclude from active life, bringing a sense of loneliness as a result of termination of regular interpersonal contacts. Old age is also often associated with diseases and disabilities. One can observe a break-down of everyday routine along with the growing confusion about what to do with rapidly gained free time. All this translates into growing frustration, depression, and deterioration of well-being – both mental and physical.

The answer to such defined problem may lay in organization of regular meetings, say in the form of courses, where seniors can develop their skills and build new social relations. Body & Mind Academy is the project with the main goal to prepare a comprehensive program of the one-year course (academy), directed to adults 50+. The results positively affect the physical, social and intellectual activation of seniors and increase their quality of life.

PARTICIPANTS

Two groups of participants took part in the project:

GROUP 1 – trainers / instructors / people working with adults and seniors.
This group is the first recipient of the project results. It is up to them if and how the materials will be implemented in the work with seniors. For these reasons all dissemination events were directed primarily to people working with adults.

GROUP 2 – adults and seniors – final beneficiaries of the project results.
From February 2018 to February 2019, Lilla House (coordinating organization) was involved in the creation and implementation of the test edition of the Body & Mind Academy. 22 participants were recruited: 20 women and 2 men aged 55 to 73 years. 14 people completed the full one-year course. 7 participants were dealing with health problems.

It is estimated that a overall of 600 people participated in the project.

ACTIONS

During the project there were conducted:

– 4 international project meetings with main purpose on creating and developing the intellectual outputs;
– 6 outputs’ dissemination events. The recipients of the events were, on the one hand, employees of organizations and institutions with offer directed to adults 50+, engaged in the social, intellectual and motor activation of adults, as well as seniors, on the other hand. The events were mainly workshops, where trainers conducted selected class scenarios as part of the Body & Mind Academy.

RESULTS OF INTELLECTUAL OUTPUTS

The project resulted in:

1. Guide for the trainer, which contains information about the details of physical, intellectual and social activation of adults 50+; ways to motivate self-development; instructions on how to create Academy; yearlong course program of stationary classes (39 class scenarios with an extensive number of exercises).
2. A web application that complements the one-year, stationary Body & Mind Academy course and the content of the guide. Its main purpose is to provide a set of homework for class participants. Students will find tasks on physical, intellectual and social activity.
3. Video tutorials that primarily support the fitness trainer with classes preparation. The trainer will find there not only exercises and choreographies, but also tips related to the specifics of work with seniors.

Intellectual outputs contribute to the dissemination of good practices in education and work with seniors.

PROJECT IMPACT

The project contributed to the development of cooperation networks, on and beyond the local level, and to the exchange of good practices. An opportunity to expand soft skills and to strengthen the potential of organizations was created for the recipients of dissemination events. Those who decide to use the project results in their daily work can count on increasing number of consumers of their services.

Translating all intellectual outputs into 5 languages makes the project’s impact on European and international level feasible. International cooperation in enabled by creation of 5 identical versions of project materials. Given the popularity of English and Spanish in and outside Europe, the materials have a chance to reach a very wide audience around the world.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 150837,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Lilla House sp. z o.o. & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Fundacja Normalne Miasto – Fenomen
• Monguz Információtechnológiai Kft.
• ELLINIKO MESOGEIAKO PANEPISTIMIO