With the implementation of the LLND project, the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Bragança sought to promote the digital and social inclusion of older and adult learners, creating learning opportunities and reducing social isolation. The main objective was to empower participants in the use of digital technologies, enabling them to communicate, access online services, and participate actively in society, particularly in the digital sphere. The project also aimed to value participants’ life stories and experiences, transforming them into cultural products such as the book “Stories and Memories of a Lifetime of Learning”, exhibitions, and group visits that fostered social recognition and intergenerational dialogue. In parallel, it sought to modernize institutional practices by integrating digital methodologies into daily activities and promoting the continuous training of staff and professionals. Through transnational cooperation with Spain and Italy, the project aimed to share European best practices, stimulate social innovation with senior learners, and contribute to a more inclusive, participatory, and digitally competent community.
The application arose from the unique opportunity to promote the digital and social inclusion of older adults and people with disabilities who have low digital literacy, while simultaneously valuing their life stories, experiences, and knowledge. The project proposal combined two areas of great interest to the participating institutions, lifelong learning and social innovation , directly addressing challenges identified in their professional and community contexts: adult and senior education, social isolation, digital exclusion, and the need to value memory and the active role of older people. Furthermore, the European dimension of the project, within the Erasmus+ framework, offered the opportunity to learn from other realities, exchange good practices, and bring to Bragança more innovative methods of non-formal education.