Building Key Competences and Folkhighschool Pedagogy in XXI Europe Erasmus Project

Project Title

Building Key Competences and Folkhighschool Pedagogy in XXI Europe

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 addressing more than one field

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2014

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation; Environment and climate change; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses

Project Summary

The main objective of the project “Building Key Competences and Folkhighschool Pedagogy in XXI Europe” was to explore the effectiveness of methodology of folkhighschools in adult education in modern Europe in order to respond to new challenges, particularly of high unemployment. Innovative was linking the “old” European tradition in adult education from marginalised areas with the “new” idea of key competences developed by EU, in other words: to creatively use Grundtvig’s philosophy and methodology of education to improve effectiveness of adult education in our countries and thus foster entrepreneurship and employability of young adults.
The partnership consisted of various adult education providers, from 2 Universities through the Association of biodynamic farmers and ngo active in rural area, to folkhighschools. Polish regional authority joined the partnership to promote gained experience and the project results in vocational schools in the area. The geographical, economic and historical range of partnership was very wide: Poland, Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, which provided a good sharing of diverse experience in the field in a multicultural context.
The concrete topic for exploring and adapting folkhighschool methodology was organic farming course organised by applicant organisation for 33 adults which was realised in Poland with a grant from Danish Foundation. The Erasmus + partnership worked together to develop curriculum and handbook for this folkhighschool course, which later was implemented and evaluated. Both: curriculum and handbook were positively estimated by either the course participants or course teachers.
Two other outputs developed during the project were: “Guidelines on building key competences through Grundtvigian pedagogy: tools, examples, good practices” and publication which summarised the project: “Folkhighschools of XXI Century: Tradition, Contemporaneity and Challenges for Future”, which consisted of analysis, articles, reflections, recommendations, conclusions. These two outputs gathered the most important experience, good practical examples, conclusions and recommendations for future. All outputs were distributed free and disseminated on e-platform of the project as well as EPALE platform.
Main activities of the project were 4 short-term joint staff training events in all participating EU countries and one intensive Study Programme for teaching staff to Switzerland in order to learn about the school initiated (30 years ago) and run by biodynamic farmers, now officially validated and supported by the government. We decided to invite a partner from outside EU because of the unique know-how in creating and successfully running for many years a vocational school (with the approach similar to folkhighschool methodology, i.e. with strong focus on practice, implementing artistic and craft topics and so on) by association of employers, in this case biodynamic farmers.
We expected impact in a form of recognition the value of folkhigschool methodology in adult education particularly in countries like Poland and Bulgaria, linking key competences building with this methodology, introduction more dual system in vocational training, more links between education with employment, development of sustainable, organic enterprises in rural areas of Europe. Particularly in Poland we have achieved a spectacular success because during the project, at one of our project meetings in Wiezyca (Kashubian FolkHighSchool) in 2016 we have established a Polish Network of Folkhighschools and we have started negotiations with Polish government to implement the folkhighschools methodology in adult education in our country. At the end of our project we have submitted the a proposition of strategy for Folkhighschools Development in Poland for the years 2018-2024 to Mr. Wojciech Kaczmarczyk, designed by the Vice Premier Piotr Glinski to deal with folkhighschools movement in Poland.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 338538,79 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stowarzyszenie Ekologiczno-Kulturalne ZIARNO & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Brenderup Højskole
• Verein für biolologisch dynamische Landwirtschaft
• Kaszubski Uniwersytet Ludowy
• Powiat Plocki
• HOCHSCHULE FUR NACHHALTIGE ENTWICKLUNG EBERSWALDE
• AGRAREN UNIVERSITET – PLOVDIV