CONTEXT “Europe is getting old” (Demographic Aging Report, 2018). In 1950, only 12% of the European population was over 65 years old. In 2050 in expected more than 36%. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus pandemic affected these statistics. More than ever, it is our stringent responsibility to value our seniors and create an enabling environment for them to learn and to express. It is urgent to take them out of this picture, where the human rights were limited and the seniors’ rights were limited even more than for other categories. The main problem is the reduced level of commitment of seniors to participate in activities of education and exchanges of experiences. This project aims at promoting the Erasmus+ among seniors through develop an enabling environment for an active aging society. OBJECTIVES To “enhance the capacity of 25 EDUCATORS and 15 adult ORGANIZATIONS in their support for 150 SENIORS to remain active while ageing”, by 3 specific objectives: 1: Improve the level of skills of 25 EDUCATORS to adequately contribute to seniors education and development, in 13 months. 2: Facilitate access of 150 SENIORS to informal learning opportunities and exchanges of experiences, in 10 months. 3: Enhance the capacity of 15 ADULT ORGANIZATIONS to appropriately valorize seniors, in 16 months. TARGET GROUP and NEEDs TG1 – Educators, facilitators, volunteers from partners and associated partners who work to support senior learners. Needs: new teaching methods, digital tools, for own development and for seniors’ engagement. TG2 – Seniors (65+) from the target group of partners organizations and associated partners. Needs: stay involved in activities for their mental health and for active ageing. TG3 - Adult organizations working with seniors in all kinds of education and social care system. Needs: develop internal capabilities to accomplish their mission. The above needs for each TG were identified by partners upon evaluating internal capabilities, discussions with stakeholders, analyses of projects and strategies at national and European level. CONSORTIUM A multi-disciplinary, complementary partnership consisting of 5 NGOs from Romania, Italy, Poland and Spain and 13 associated partners will contribute to reaching the target groups and supporting the dissemination and sustainability of the projects. RESULTS AND METHODOLOGY We are using the EC OpenPM methodology and PMI PMBOK for managing the project. The project objectives will be achieved by completing 4 intellectual outputs: 1) IO1 - Essential needs of educators to support seniors –give an understanding of the challenges that adult educators face, resulted from health or mental problems, even psychological and low self-esteem of seniors. 2) IO2 - Course modules for educators, facilitators and volunteers to improve educators teaching methods and tools through digital technologies (EN, RO, PL, IT, SP, pdf and multimedia). 3) IO3 - Online training course & practical activity scenarios – to motivate seniors and keep them involved for an active aging society. 4) IO4 - Sustainability mechanism for an active ageing society for integration of further stakeholders and decision makers in country specific events: bring value to policy review annual reports and ensure the project results will not remain limited to project partners and associated partners. IMPACT The project will develop an enabling environment for an active aging society, which will increase level of commitment of seniors to participate in activities of education and exchanges of experiences. SHORT TERM BENEFITS 4) TG1 – Educators. Increased competence in foreign languages; Increased level of digital competence to use digital tools and teaching methods 5) TG2 – Seniors. Increased sense of initiative while designing practical activities scenarios; Well-being through more active participation in society; Increased motivation through testimonials 6) TG3 – Organizations. Increased trust by creating awareness of high-level support for adult education. Better understanding of practices, policies and systems in adult education across EU. MEDIUM AND LONG TERM BENEFITS 1) Increased quality of adult education 2) More strategic and integrated use of ICTs and OER in adult education 3) Increased participation of seniors in societal actions 4) Strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation between adult organizations 5) Reinforced interaction between practice, research and policy The transnational approach support Sustainability mechanism for an active ageing society and promote Erasmus+ among seniors, adding solidity to the European identity. Educators and Seniors engagement in projects activities will give them ownership of shared values among European citizens.
By implementing the SENIOR project we intended to achieve three main objectives, focusing on three target groups as follows: • SO1: Improve the level of skills of 25 EDUCATORS to adequately contribute to seniors education and development • SO2: Facilitate access of 150 SENIORS to informal learning opportunities and exchanges of experiences • SO3: Enhance the capacity of 15 ADULT ORGANIZATIONS to appropriately valorize seniors At the partnership level, we sought at improving the capabilities of partners to offer high-level support for adult learners and seniors by increasing the capabilities of adult educators of using the modern digital learning environment and adopting new teaching tools and methods. By identification, development and adaptation of workshop scenarios and involvement of seniors in their planning and implementation, we contributed to increasing the well-being, motivation and sense of initiative of seniors. With SENIOR project, we created synergies and bridges between adult organizations to strengthen cross-sectoral cooperation and to facilitate the exchange of practices and experiences for increased participation of seniors in societal actions.
The SENIOR project was implemented for promoting the Erasmus+ among seniors through developing an enabling environment for an active ageing society. The active Ageing Index concept considers several environmental factors which enable seniors to be more active: educational and care systems, infrastructures promoting well-being, social cohesion, and digitalisation. For this reason, we established a multidisciplinary consortium to enhance the capacity of EDUCATORS and adult ORGANIZATIONS in their support for SENIORS to remain active while ageing. Seniors interested in participation in societal actions need an appropriate context to keep them involved in activities for their mental health and to access learning opportunities. Being interested in continuous professional development, educators, facilitators, volunteers from five European countries and associated partners who work with senior learners need new teaching methods and digital tools, for their own development to foster seniors’ engagement. In addition, the organizations involved in all kinds of education, social activities and care system, need to develop internal capabilities and professional networks to increase the quality of education and accomplish their mission.