The main objective of C.H.A.N.G.E.R.S.-2.0 was to develop a set of targeted training materials for rural seniors to improve their access to adult learning opportunities on specific topics which can help them fight against climate change and energy poverty, and contribute to sustainability. We also wanted to create methodologies and toolkits to support the knowledge transfer with two different approaches (advantage of local proximity and transgenerational approach) addressing the special needs of this social group. By improving senior citizens’ knowledge, they can live a more sustainable life and can be encouraged to implement energy-efficient and renewable-based home improvements. We also wanted to promote inclusion and diversity in education by preparing tailored materials for 65+ seniors as this target group often falls out of the scope of the available training opportunities by living in the countryside or having lower IT skills. We wanted to involve senior organizations in the output development to be able to meet the elderly people’s real needs. All in all, we wanted to improve the knowledge on green and sustainable household topics of seniors, especially in the rural areas, and to give useful tools for target agents.
Europe's population is getting older while households are responsible for approx. ¼ of the final energy consumption. In addition, older people are more vulnerable to poor housing conditions including energy poverty, therefore, special attention should be paid to them. The necessity to raise awareness among those who have less opportunity to learn about sustainable households (especially rural senior citizens) was clear. In C.H.A.N.G.E.R.S. E+ project 4 partners exchanged their knowledge on topics of sustainability. The project could not provide the opportunity for adaptation to seniors. Thus, the original partnership decided to implement a follow-up project, i.e., C.H.A.N.G.E.R.S.-2.0 as we identified a need for flexible, non-formal and tailor-made training opportunities for rural seniors. The partnership was completed with new organizations working with seniors. Besides creating materials in digital format, we wanted to provide other types of training opportunities by applying two different methodologies for knowledge transfer customised for seniors: learning in local workshops and learning together with younger generations which also mitigates the gap between age groups in terms of access to and use of modern ICT.