We applied for this project due to the nature of our work. In our daily work, we deal with learners from disadvantaged backgrounds and face diverse profiles of students with vulnerable backgrounds and marginalized groups in risk of exclusion. Through the course “Working with learners from disadvantaged backgrounds” we wanted to improve our approach towards such groups and further develop our personal and social skills in order to better understand them as people and the harsh reality they come from. Another course that our staff members attended was “Outdoor and nature-based education and experiential learning”. Through this course they learned about innovative approaches to environmental education and about non-formal education in outdoor settings. By attending this course they gained valuable knowledge that they could use in the future in order to implement it into our existing courses in our institution and also to expand the courses that we are already implementing in our institution.
Our project is applied in the field of Adult Education as a Key Action 1 - Short-term projects for mobility of learners and staff in adult education. Project title is "Raising Competences: Better Teachers - Better Education. Public Open University Čakovec is an adult education institution founded in 1955 by the town of Čakovec. It is one of the leading adult education institutions in the Republic of Croatia and a member of the Croatian Association for the Education of Adults seated in Zagreb. This lifelong learning centre has always evolved to meet the educational demands of our society. It remains a dynamic setting open to changes as well as social and economic influences dictating program structure and development. The institution works in several key areas: adult vocational education, adult education, primary adult education, language courses (which are aimed at all age groups with specially tailored classes to fit the students’ needs). We also offer non-formal education courses; ICT workshops for beginners, art workshops, cutting and sewing workshops, photo workshops, gastronomic workshops, etc.