Volunteer Organizations‘ Input to Community Education Erasmus Project

Project Title

Volunteer Organizations‘ Input to Community Education

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: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

Context:
The VOICE (Volunteer Organizations‘ Input to Community Education) partnership project was set up to follow on a major objective, namely: to promote Community Education (CE) and to showcase the input of volunteer and (inter)cultural centers to Community Education. As the current dominant discourse around education for the economy seems to ignore the value and impact of CE and its importance personal development and strengthening communities, partners want to address this important and innovative resource of learning.

The partnership was founded by 6 volunteer/(inter)cultural/neighborhood-centers across the EU, working on local level but representing different traditions of volunteering in Europe.
The VOICE partners use this Erasmus project to create a platform for exchange expertise among practitioners from different European countries. During project implementation, 6 transnational meetings were convened, involving at least 18 staff members and volunteers working in CE programs. Furthermore, each partner conducted CE programs at local level, and attracted at least 300 participants in total with at least 90 of them being disadvantaged. Additionally, partners involved other local NGOs, (adult) education providers, stakeholder on local, national and international level.
The 6 transnational partnership meeting were used to explore and discuss
a) the value and impact of “Community Education”,
b) the role of CE providers in local communities,
c) Professional development of CE practitioners
d) Success factors of CE programs,
e) how does CE increase the skills, confidence, networks and resources of participants, and
f) how does CE contribute to tackle problems and grasp opportunities, which occur within local communities.
Additionally host partners showcased good practices of them in the field of Community Education. All their discussions, results and lead to the creation of an EBook and pdf document with recommendations on how to implement Community Education programs, including partners experiences and expertise in form of ‘good practices’ collection. This eBook can be used as a guideline for promoting CE and to disseminate good practices of partners in order for others to copy them. And within this partnership most partners copied at least one good practice, which was presented by a different partner. It is published on the websites www.volunteertolearn.eu and www.professional-volunteering.eu to be used as a tool kit and inspiration for other NGOs to start their own community education programmes.It is available in English, German and Romanian.

Methodology of the joint work:
Tasks and activities of the project were undertaken as described in the methodology on the original project application. Upon approval, the ultimate work plan and time schedule were agreed on by the partners during the first transnational meeting (TM) in Passau-Germany when the project officially took off. A total of 6 TM were conducted, each partner hosting one TM. The transnational meetings were a platform for exchange of expertise and experience on CE between partners: The meetings also served as a think tank were ideas around providing, improving, supporting, harmonizing CE were discussed. The result was the joint EBook. Additionally, the meetings were used to monitor the progress made, plan future activities, allocate tasks and agree on the mode of operation and feedback.Parallel with the transnational meetings, partners maintain special web-section for VOICE within their designated websites. The web-section provides information about VOICE activities locally and transnational.

Results of this partnership:
The two year project has been successful implemented. The VOICE project met all the pre-set project objectives as presented in the original project application and within the agreed time.
o The transnational meetings were convened as planned and each led to a chapter to the eBook.
o Partners were able to exchange experience and expertise on CE with a potential of further improving and harmonizing CE across Europe.
o Monitoring, evaluation as well as dissemination activities were conducted by partners as initially agreed in the original application.
o An eBook on CE including an input about the community education approach in learning, practical tips on the implementation of community education programs in local communities, the role and success factors of volunteer/ neighbourhood/ intercultural centers as important providers of CE programs, as well as a collection of good practices of learning and training programs offered by the involved partners.
This eBook was and will be disseminated on local, regional, national and international level in order:
a) to raise awareness for the importance of CE and its contribution to the education system and community development,
b) to promote the staff development of CE providers and to strengthen the expertise and skills of CE practitioners

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 93750 Eur

Project Coordinator

Gemeinsam leben und lernen in Europa e.V. & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Mezigeneracni a dobrovolnicke centrum TOTEM, z.s.
• Centrul de Voluntariat Cluj-Napoca
• KUOPION SETLEMENTTI PUIJOLA RY
• Marom Klub Egyesület
• STADTLABOR GRAZ – INNOVATIONEN FURURBANE LEBENSQUALITAT
• STADTLABOR INNOVATIONEN FUR URBANELEBENSQUALITAT GMBH