Der Grundtvig Workshop „Neue Medien in der Seniorenbildung – ein Brückenschlag für Europa“ fand vom 7. bis 13. März 2010 in Ulm/ Deutschland statt.

Die neuen Medien, speziell das Internet, ermöglichen innovative, interaktive Methoden zur Informationsgewinnung, Kommunikation und zu virtueller Kooperation. Dieser Grundtvig- Workshop, der vom Institut für virtuelles und reales Lernen in der Erwachsenenbildung an der Universität Ulm (ILEU) e.V. durchgeführt wurde, soll das Internet als Vehikel zur europäischen Zusammenarbeit in der Seniorenbildung auf der Ebene der Lernenden erfahrbar machen.

The Grundtvig Workshop “New Media as a European Bridge in the Education of Seniors” took place in Ulm, Germany from 7 to 13th  March 2010.

The new media, especially the Internet, enable the application of innovative and interactive methods for communication, cooperation and information on virtual basis. The main goal of this Grundtvig Workshop organised by the Institute for virtual and real learning in the area of adult education at the University of Ulm (ILEU) was to show that Internet is a very important tool for European cooperation in seniors’ education.

The European Commission has decided today to propose that 2011 be designated as the “European Year of Volunteering”. The Council and the European Parliament are expected to endorse this proposal by the beginning of next year.

In the European Union, millions of citizens are volunteering. People of all ages make a positive contribution to their community by investing some of their free time in civil society organisations, in youth clubs, in hospitals, in schools, in sport clubs, etc. For the Commission, volunteering is an active expression of civic participation which strengthens common European values such as solidarity and social cohesion. Volunteering also provides important learning opportunities, because involvement in voluntary activities can provide people with new skills and competences and can even improve their employability. This is particularly important in this time of economic crisis. Volunteering plays an important role in sectors as varied and diverse as education, youth, culture, sport, environment, health, social care, consumer protection, humanitarian aid, development policy, research, equal opportunities and external relations.

September 6-12, 2009, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma, Illes Balears, Spain.

Lectures and workshops on various scientific subjects as well as excursions form the program.

On 15 and 16 June 2009 the National Agency Education for Europe (NA at BIBB) in cooperation with the Zentrum für Allgemeine Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung (ZAWiW) of Ulm University, organised a conference about seniors’ education.

The conference with nearly 100 participants from six European countries was opened by the Federal Minister for Education and Research, Dr. Annette Schavan. After the introduction to the topic of "Creativity in Old Age" by Prof. Dr. Andreas Kruse, a number of best-practice examples from the Grundtvig program were presented at the conference. This was taken up by the participants as a starting point for numerous discussions and a lively informal exchange.

The second day was used to introduce the various activities of ZAWiW in the field of seniors’ education and to present the various funding opportunities within the Grundtvig program.

The partners from Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, Austria and Germany from the Grundtvig Learning Partnership Danube-Networkers (2008-2010) have met for the second time on the 13-17 of May 2009 in Pitesti, Romania. The host was the Romanian partner GIE (Group of European Intergration). For the first time, also representatives from the new associated partner organisation the University of the Third Age at Zagreb University, Croatia, took part.

The participating seniors presented a wealth of creative materials that they developed for the project up to the meeting - texts and photos on the subject of Bridges over the Danube (real as well as virtual), interviews conducted with time-witnesses, collections of songs and poems on the subject of Danube. The meeting included also an evaluation part and a meeting of the national coordinators as well as a cultural visit to the Curtea de Arges Monastery and Vidraru Dam on the first day. Before their departure, the participants had also the opportunity to visit Peles Castle and Brasov. The materials developed in the frame of the project are presented in the project website www.danube-networkers.eu.

Hovo Rotterdam International Summer Course "Celebrating the Founding of a New World; Manhattan and Nieuw Amsterdam 1609-2009" will take place on the 22-25 June 2009 in the Netherlands. Locations: Rotterdam (June, 22), Amsterdam (June, 23), Breda (June, 24) and Delft (June, 25).

The National Agency BiBB organises together with the ZAWiW on 15/16. June 2009 in Ulm, Germany a conference “Active seniors - European educational projects for and with seniors in the program GRUNDTVIG". Registration is now possible on the website of the NA.
In workshops on the topics "New media", "Intergenerational learning" and "Senior citizens’ volunteer services", European projects and initiatives will introduce their work.

Also presented and discussed will be new research findings and funding opportunities. The event is aimed primarily at project organisers from the GRUNDTVIG program, but is open to others interested in the conference's subject areas.

EURAG Memory Training Center and the Czech Society for Memory Training and Brain Jogging is organising a seminar on Memory and the Functions of the Brain. A series of lectures on the 28th of March 2009 are followed by an interactive seminar on the 29th of March. Working languages: Czech, English, German and Spanish.

Agenda of the Seminar

The AAMEE project focuses on the promotion of active ageing and social, cultural and economic integration of migrant and minority ethnic elders, emphasising volunteer activities and the emergence of new culturally sensitive products and services in the fields of, for instance, housing, care, education, leisure, culture and marketing. This will be done on the basis of a mixture of practical and scientific activities and a variety of approaches.
There will be two Good Practice Competitions addressing voluntary organisations (Competition I), and local authorities and NGOs (Competition II). Prizes will be awarded during the 1st European Conference "Minority Ethnic and Migrant Elders across Europe - from Challenges to Opportunities", which will take place from 30 September  to 02 October 2008 at the World Conference Center, the former building of the German parliament (Bundestag)

7-13 September 2008, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

The Summer University includes an offering of educational and cultural activities and structured leisure activities. Specific times have been set aside during the week for seniors to exchange views of their experiences as university students and propose suggestions and alternatives for improving their respective programs.

Application form in English (MS Word)

Application form in Spanish (MS Word)

Organizer: ARBES e.V. - Arbeitsgemeinschaft des Bürgerschaftlichen Engagements

A training in 4 seperate modules for engaged citizens in german language. 9/10. June 2008, 17. July 2008 and 21. October 2008.

The European cooperation project eLiLL – eLearning in Later Life informs about projects in the area of Lifelong Learning in that foster digital competence in older people and motivates to such initiatives for the future. The heart of the project is a database of (good practice) projects in the area of seniors’ education and ICT. The project website’s “Information sources” section presents useful information about pedagogy in seniors’ education, about funding possibilities, and houses materials for online courses and virtual classrooms. Results of the European survey about the opportunities and challenges of ICT-supported seniors’ education deliver interesting outcomes. A Bulletin on the subejct of eLearning for seniors can be downloaded from the project website. The printed version of the Bulletin and the CD from the project can be ordered for the cost of postage only from ZAWiW and the project partners.

What do European citizens need to do to become active citizens? How should lifelong learning in universities be responding to this challenge? Are there examples of good practice in the European Union and what is the future role for lifelong learning in universities? The conference, which is being held to mark the year of ‘Intercultural Learning’ (2008), is seeking to answer some of the many questions posed by the concept of active citizenship, particularly when applied to continuing education/ lifelong learning in universities.

Further Informations