Silver Learners Erasmus Project

Project Title

Silver Learners

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Health and wellbeing; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

The Silver Learners project was a strategic partnership for exchanging good practice between ten partners from Germany, Great Britain (3), Hungary, Luxembourg, The Netherlands (2) and Poland (2). The project took take place between 1 September 2016 and 30 September 2018 and was aimed at representatives of local education centres, i.e. at the directors of these institutions and the teaching staff who give lessons to groups of learners aged 60+. The consortium was structured to ensure that various local education facilities with a range of main strengths and focuses were involved as well as transregionally active associations.

The aim of Silver Learners was to improve the programme offered by education centres, taking account of the challenges of demographic change as well as the associated altered circumstances and education practices of senior citizens: The older generation needs to be provided with educational support to enable them to remain active members of society and face the challenges of growing old independently for as long as possible. In this context, the fields of media competence (using ICT and new technical resources) and health were regarded as being particularly significant.

In addition, it is essential to reach poorly educated target groups. There was for instance an exchange of tried-and-tested education models from the various countries for improving the learning situation of the elderly and also to jointly develop and implement ideas and concepts. New, innovative educational concepts for the older generation were developed on the basis of the different experiences. Since, at present, the adult education centres are primarily attended by the so-called middle classes, the objective was and is to focus on persons who have had fewer educational opportunities. This entailed analysing the motivation for learning as well as the options and the existing barriers to education.

The project encompassed seven meetings of the project partners. The time between the meetings was used for processing the results and disseminating and applying them locally as well as for preparing the next convention and planning additional cooperation between individual partners. The meetings of the partners were organised as workshops made up of presentations, dialogues in varying work groups, and excursions. The following issues were regarded as particularly crucial:
– Competencies and learning abilities of the elderly and the consequent requirements on educational programmes;
– Communication for and with senior citizens – How to reach the target groups, in particular those that are not so well educated? How can the communication skills of elderly people be intensified (use of ICT, social networks, language, etc.)?
– Further education for everyday life – How can the older generation be supported in their ICT-influenced daily lives (using a PC, online banking/shopping/booking, voluntary work)? How can new tools be made appropriate for elderly people?
– Further education on health – Besides keeping healthy (sport, prevention) and new technical aids, this focused mainly on dealing with age-related diseases such as dementia.

The venues and thematic focuses of the meetings were selected so as to ensure that the partners could best introduce their strengths into the discussion. The first event was an introductory kick-off meeting held in Iserlohn. After five content-related workshops in Nyíregyháza, Luxembourg, Middelburg, Stockport and Cambridge, a final summarising wrap-up meeting was held in Olszyn at which further projects of individual partners were mentioned, including some within the scope of Erasmus+.

Besides the specified aims, teaching staff benefited from the project because their skills were upgraded, especially regarding the interests of the elderly during lessons, the effective use of ICT, and the inclusion of health aspects. This enabled education centres to improve and expand what they had on offer and thus for attendees to commit to the institution.

As a result of working together with familiar partners (town twinning, successful partnerships in other EU projects), the networks were reinforced and redefined with the help of new partners, also on a local level. The project partners got to know other countries, embarked on intercultural dialogues and expanded their knowledge, including their linguistic skills.

The project was also beneficial to society in Europe as well: well-educated, committed and health-conscious senior citizens face the effects accompanying age with greater confidence. In consequence, the growing generation of elderly people was encouraged to play an active role in society.

Thanks to the joint work of ten partners, the results of the project were disseminated in numerous different regions and countries of Europe, thus making a major contribution towards added value in Europe.

Detailed information is available at our website: www.project-silver-learners.eu.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 158245 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stadt Iserlohn & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Nyíregyházi Városfejlesztési és Ipari Park Nonprofit Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag
• KILCOOLEY WOMENS CENTRE
• MIASTO CHORZOW – MIASTO NA PRAWACHPOWIATU
• Federacja Organizacji Socjalnych Wojewodztwa Warminsko-Mazurskiego “FOSA”
• STOCKPORT METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL
• RBS-Center fir Altersfroen
• STICHTING NATIONAAL OUDERENFONDS