12 working plan 2014 2015 final

WORK PLAN 2014 With a forecast to 2015 GA-18.6.2014-12-01-GE

PREAMBLE end of the year. Now if you have your General Assembly at the end of the year, it makes sense to present a work plan for the following year, but once we switched to May/June, EAEA was always a bit out of balance. Therefore we are now trying to get into a rhythm that makes more sense: from 2014 onwards, we will approve last year’s activity report and accounts and then the current year’s work and financial plan. 2014 will be a transitional year – you will get a forecast and still a financial plan for 2015, but next year we should have adapted.

Before we go to the main topics and plans for 2014 (and a forecast for 2015), here is a reminder of EAEA’s main objectives.

The main roles of EAEA are: • Policy advocacy for lifelong learning at a European level • Provision of information and services for our members • Development of practice through projects, publications and training • International co-operation with other stakeholders in the field

Another new approach is the introduction of annual themes.

We have had ‘unofficial’ themes, mainly the European Years which have regularly provided the inspiration for our Grundtvig Award. The Executive Board therefore proposes the following themes for 2014 and 2015:

The EAEA promotes the social inclusion aspects of the Lisbon Strategy; it promotes adult learning and the widening of access and participation in formal and non-formal adult education for all, particularly for groups currently underrepresented. The purposes of learning may be competence development for personal fulfilment and in employment related fields; for social change and active citizenship; for sustainable development and gender mainstreaming; for cultural and intercultural awareness and knowledge.

2014: Democracy and adult education 2015: Development (following the European Year for Development) and Health By following our priorities and by preparing the plans below we hope to fulfill our main tasks: to be the voice of (non-formal) adult education at the European level and to provide services for our members.

This year’s work plan is a bit unusual – it covers 2014 and provides a forecast for 2015 instead of concentrating on one year, namely 2015.

Now most organisations will adopt the activity report of the preceding year and then the work plan for the current, and EAEA has always been an exception. This goes back to the time when the General Assembly would take place at the

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1. INFLUENCING PUBLIC POLICY EAEA has been successful in establishing itself as a key stakeholder in Education and training in Brussels. EAEA is invited to all the key events / working groups / conferences in the area of adult education and lifelong learning and is regularly asked to contribute and consult. Due to the ‘Erasmus+’ lobbying, good relations with the European Parliament have been established, too. EAEA has also been in regular contact with the European Economic and Social Committee.

These efforts have to be maintained and deepened.

EAEA will therefore continue to concentrate on four main areas in influencing public policy: A. ADVOCACY Over the years, EAEA has established good contact with DG EAC, especially the unit for adult education. We have also increased contact with the level of directors at DG EAC and with units from Directorate A, such as Lifelong Learning and Skills and Qualifications. We have established contacts with DG Enlargement and DG Development and will continue to intensify them. We have increased our cooperation with the European Parliament and are in regular contact with a number of MEPs. The Economic and Social Committee is increasingly working with EAEA on issues of Education and

Training, too.

• Develop arguments, evidence and tools for non-formal adult education.

Our advocacy in this area faces new challenges: the unit for adult education has now grown to include vocational education and training and has become much bigger. A new way of working, which makes use of synergies between different forms and sectors of learning for adults, is being developed and EAEA will have to forge new co-operations and approaches. Additionally, Directorate A is increasingly focusing on employability and skills development, so a new advocacy approach is being developed for this cooperation, too. EAEA will also reach out to other organisations, such as OECD, who might be an interesting stakeholder. Both BeLL (Benefits of Lifelong Learning study) and PIAAC (OECD Survey on Adult Skills) results have given us new arguments and tools to advocate for adult education.

EAEA as a membership organisation can provide a discussion platform for exchanges between policy makers on the one hand and adult education representatives, staff, providers and learners on the other. Therefore, our events that bring together these different groups provide the opportunity to influence policy from the bottom up.

B. VISIBILITY The voice of (non-formal) adult education needs to present at meetings, conferences and working groups. We will therefore continue to give inputs at conferences, to lobby to be inclu-ded in stakeholder meetings and other working groups and to raise the importance of adult education at a variety of meetings and get-togethers.

We will therefore put an emphasis on the following topics:

C. TAKING POSITIONS In order to be recognised as a policy actor and an interesting representative of the civil society sector, an organisation in Brussels needs to take position, present opinions on policies, offer clear perspectives of stra-tegies and produce convincing policy recommendations, which are based on the EAEA members’ experiences. EAEA is also aiming to produce and gather evidence for policy proposals.

EAEA will especially focus on replies to ‘Opening up Education’ and the consultation on ‘Skills and qualifications’, as

• Contact building and maintaining with European institutions and other associations; • Contact building and maintaining with MEPs that are particularly interested in education and training or lifelong learning, employment, social inclusion and similar fields, or that are members of committees in these fields; • Contact building with other institutions, organisations and persons relevant to policy making;

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well as PIAAC. Democracy, peace and adult education will be further themes for position papers.

D. REPRESENTATION The European Commission has launched a new Working Group on Adult Learning, which will propose and monitor progress in the developments of adult education policies. EAEA has a seat in this group so that the voice of adult education providers and civil society can be taken into account.

Additionally, EAEA regularly receives invites (from the European Commission, but also other bodies like National Agencies, the EESC etc.) to represent non-formal adult education at conferences and workshops.

In order to have a stronger and wider influence, it is necessary to be re-presented in different networks, fora and platforms.

• Representation in EUCIS-LLL (see below) • Representation in the Social Platform • Representation in the Council of Europe • Observer status in CONCORD, the European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development

2. A FLAGSHIP CAMPAIGN EUROPEAN YEAR FOR ADULT EDUCATION THE JOY OF LEARNING EAEA President Per Paludan Hansen introduced EAEA´s proposal of a European flagship initiative on adult learning at the conference Equipping adults for the 21st century - Joining Forces for Action on Skills and Competences in Vilnius.

“It has been a long time that we had the European Year of Lifelong Learning. Considering the needs underlined by the PIAAC results, we should introduce a flagship that would ask for commitment from all levels: European, national, regional and local”, Mr Paludan Hansen said, introducing thus EAEA´s proposal for action.

In a meeting with the Minister of Education, Science and Communications of Finland, Ms Krista Kiuru, the EAEA President presented EAEA’s flagship initiative. EAEA will be campaigning for the European theme year for adult learning highlighting “the Joy of Learning”. With the campaign EAEA wishes to raise awareness on the positive benefits of learning for

all adults, and to make the European public and decision makers aware of the importance of adult education.

EAEA proposes the European theme year for 2017 or 2018.

main developments in adult education in their country; • make it possible to compare the situation of adult education providers across Europe; • propose ideas and good practices to colleagues and policy makers across Europe.

Based on the feedback in Finland, EAEA will start to promote a European Year of adult learning and try to get as much support from the European level but also from Member States through our members. During 2014, EAEA will present an advocacy plan and continue the lobbying into 2015.

Additionally, in a few years a more longterm comparison of developments will be possible.

4. CAMPAIGNING THE MEP CANDIDATES The European elections in May 2014 will be key for the further development of the European Union. For EAEA and our members, it is of course crucial that we have MEPs (Members of the European Parliament) who understand and support adult education and civil society. EAEA will therefore present a list of questions to the top candidates and ask its members to contact their national candidates for the European elections.

We hope that as many candidates as possible will reply and show their support. We hope that this will help in establishing new contacts with the newly elected Parliament.

3. COUNTRY REPORTS EAEA is starting a new long-term strategy which will hopefully benefit everyone – EAEA members, government and relevant organisations at the European level. We are launching the first venture in what is to become an annual survey where our members give us feedback on important events, challenges and developments concerning adult education in their country. EAEA will then publish a report based on the responses, which will make it possible to deliver an annual civil society report about the state of adult education in Europe.

The report will • inform colleagues across Europe – but also policy makers at different levels – on what our members think about the

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5. ERASMUS+ EAEA has been key in lobbying for a better programme with more money and attention to adult education. Now that Erasmus+ has been launched, we are interested in further improving the programme by providing feedback on how the programme works and where we see weaknesses. EAEA will therefore organise a survey once the deadlines are over and will collect its members’ opinion and then inform the Commission and try to convince them to implement changes for the next round of applications.

6. REMEMBERING FOR THE FUTURE AND EAEA GRUNDTVIG AWARD 2014 Remembering for the Future initiative aims at collecting various World War I related projects and activities organised by adult education providers together in order to create dialogue, research and discussion.

Objectives • Link World War I (WWI) related activities together in order to create dialogue, research and discussion • Implement reflection and dialogue on WWI in EU countries on a national, regional and/or local level

• Tie WWI to current developments in Europe in order to learn from history and to infuse interest in discussing a mutual, European future • Build networks for adult educators and learners • Raise awareness among EU-citizens on the impacts of nationalism and xenophobia.

CONFERENCE IN SARAJEVO IN MIDNOVEMBER 2014 EAEA has been invited to hold its annual conference in Sarajevo in the second half of 2014. This will provide the opportunity to reflect on peace in Europe as it is also the 100th anniversary of the first world war but also to strengthen our cooperation with colleagues in Southeastern Europe. The EAEA Grundtvig Award ceremony will be held at this conference.

EAEA GRUNDTVIG AWARD We will award excellent adult education and learning projects with the topic Remembering World War I for the Future - Adult Education promoting peace and cohesion in Europe in two categories: 1. World War I remembrance initiatives We are looking for a focus on local history during WWI, as well as reflections on the current situation in Europe and beyond, especially tied to the dangers of nationalism and xenophobia. A transnational partnership for the initiative is welcome but not necessary. The activities may include: • Local study groups who are researching

local WWI-related history; • Workshops, lectures or conferences about WWI (and tying it to current affairs) on a local, regional and/or national level; • Online resources, a movie, podcasts and/or other media projects about WWI and the overarching themes of the initiative, to help encourage discussion and other projects; • Any other unique activities that tie into the overarching theme.

exotic funding? How broad is the effect of adult education in this area really, i.e. how much can adult education really achieve?

EAEA therefore suggests to organise a webinar on this topic: some colleagues and experts will be asked to reflect on the questions and write articles on their opinions / experiences. We send these articles to the membership. If anyone wishes to add their comments or own article, they’re very welcome. This webinar will be launched at the General Assembly, and the conference in Sarajevo will serve as an additional point for reference / discussion.

2. Adult education projects that promote peace and conflict resolution While we would like projects in this category to have a link to WWI, this is not a precondition! We are looking for projects from Europe and outside of Europe that draw lessons from war, civil war or armed conflicts using these cases as a tool to promote peace and conflict resolution through adult learning and education.

We will then organise a workshop of the main discussants that prepare a road map of activities including a possible project proposal where an exchange between adult educators on the issue of democracy is enabled and a possible common ‘curriculum’ or initiative is developed.

7. ADULT EDUCATION AND DEMOCRACY

8. GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2014

This is our main theme for 2014. EAEA would like to start the debate by posing some key questions: Is this something adult educators talk about and discuss at conferences and workshops or is this part of the practice of adult education?

Does this still have a space in the current financial climate and if yes, how do these spaces look like? Is this part of the mainstream or left to small projects with

In 2014, the EAEA coordinated Grundtvig network Outreach Empowerment Diversity will come to an end, and in its work programme, a final conference is foreseen in Brussels. This conference will be linked with the General Assembly. The conference and GA will therefore take

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place in Brussels on 16 - 18 June.

The General Assembly in Brussels will provide the opportunity to change some small points in the EAEA constitution that have proven to be unpractical.

9. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION EAEA will maintain its international work by continuing to follow-up the Belem Framework from CONFINTEA VI. EAEA will also continue its cooperation with the UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning in order to promote the implementation of the Belem Framework.

EAEA has established an advisory group on “Adult Education and Development: LLL for all” which was formed in 2012 by EAEA and DVV International. The group targets at establishing a dialogue among education and development stakeholders on the challenges and opportunities for non-formal adult education in the development sector.

EAEA is also an observer at CONCORD, the European platform of development NGOs, and will represent adult education in this forum.

MULTI-STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP: MEETING THE CHALLENGE: SKILLS DEVELOPMENT IN EU DEVELOPMENT COOPERATION What is the role of lifelong learning in development cooperation? Which role could civil society stakeholders in development play in promoting lifelong learning? To discuss these issues, the advisory group on “Adult Education and Development: LLL for all”, composed of civil society and EU representatives, met for a workshop on 5 March 2014, at the EAEA office in Brussels. Donatella Gobbi from the European Commission (DG DEVCO) presented the EC study TVET and Skills Development in EU Development Cooperation which was released in January 2014. The approach of the EU was a long time focused on academic skills. Lately, there has been a shift towards Skills Development (SD) and Vocational Training and Education (VET).

The discussion will continue in the future, especially in regard of 2015 which will be the European Year for Development. In June, the EC will offer a training on VET for delegations, including a module on social partners and civil society in VET. DVV International and EAEA are invited to participate. It is also envisaged to produce a common paper about partnership dialogue and lifelong learning.

10. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION

on PIAAC, the European Semester, the TTIP (Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership), Opening up Education, the European Area of Skills and Qualifications and the European Agenda for adult learning.

Fortunately, the Finnish government through its Ministry of Education and Culture continue to support a staff member of the EAEA. This position including the support of the Finnish government has moved to the Finnish organisation KVS (Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation) in Helsinki, and Helka Repo (replacing Aura Vuorenrinne who is on maternity leave) is busy as EAEA Communications Officer.

11. EUCIS-LLL EUROPEAN CIVIL SOCIETY PLATFORM ON LIFELONG LEARNING EAEA has been an active member of EUCIS-LLL from the beginning, and its President, David Lopez, is an EAEA Board member, as is the Treasurer, Gerhard Bisovsky. Therefore the close cooperation between the two associations will continue. It brings together more than 30 members from different lifelong learning sectors. In 2010, EUCIS-LLL was recognized as a unique representation by DG Education and Culture and has received funding since then, nevertheless the financial situation continues to pose problems.

The new website was launched in 2014, which is part of a comprehensive new communication strategy.

EAEA is reinforcing its communication strategy by presenting a number of papers that are short and to the point, that take a stand, inform and advocate.

A good example are the PIAAC analysis papers, but also the infonotes. Press releases on important topics and events round up the picture.

INFONOTES

EUCIS-LLL provides useful papers, positions and events (e.g. the lifelong learning week at the European Parliament) and represents the lifelong learning sector in a number of bodies.

EAEA has started to produce policy briefings, so called infonotes that are meant to explain complex policy developments in an easy-to-understand way so that EAEA members can, if necessary, take action on their national and regional levels. In 2014, EAEA is planning briefings

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12. YOUNGER STAFF TRAINING EAEA has now organised three successful trainings for younger staff. The participants of the trainings have formed a ‘younger staff network’ and continue to exchange ideas, information and activities, and the project AE-Pro has been developed with the help of the network.

EAEA plans to offer another, slightly adapted, training in the first week of December 2014.

13. PROJECTS PROJECTS WITH EAEA AS A COORDINATOR: OED - OUTREACH, EMPOWERMENT, DIVERSITY This is a Grundtvig network coordinated

by EAEA. The network brings together 16 organisations from 14 countries. Our aim is to tackle the need for outreach to marginalised groups, especially migrants and ethnic minorities, for the development of more diversity in adult education, and especially the inclusion of learners’ voices, and for the empowerment of its learners to become active European citizens.

We want to • provide a collection and analysis of good practice examples from across Europe that tackle the overlap of social inclusion and active citizenship (EN, FR, DE); • analyse outreach strategies to marginalised groups and provide information to other adult education institutions how to organise this; • promote diversity in adult education organisations and their training; • develop empowerment strategies based on good practice and experiences of the network in order to activate learners from disadvantaged backgrounds; • improve teaching methodology for diverse target groups that empowers them and publish methodology guidelines for trainers (EN, DE, FR); • improve the management of adult education institutions through diversity and the inclusion of learners’ voices; • look at how including diverse learners’ voices can improve adult education; • provide policy recommendations that will tackle the integration of marginalised groups, their empowerment and participation in lifelong learning (EN, FR, DE); • organise a European conference in Brussels to present the results.

The network will have an impact on the participating institutions, teachers, trainers, (managing) staff in adult education, learners (especially from disadvantaged groups), other stakeholders

16. Drom Kotar Mestipen - Roma Association of Women (Spain) 17. Lernraum wien - Wiener Volkshochschulen (Austria)

in lifelong learning and policy makers.

The network will improve approaches in reaching out to disadvantaged groups, promoting diversity in organisations, improve teaching methodology, promote active citizenship by participatory strategies and support the development of better policies aimed at integration and lifelong learning.

RENEWAL - REGIONAL NETWORKING FOR ADULT LEARNING IN EUROPE In 2011, the European Council agreed on a resolution on the Renewed European Agenda for adult learning. The related benchmark, 15 % of adults participating in lifelong learning by 2020, is not developing well. Two regions especially do not fare very well: Southern Europe and Central & Eastern Europe. This project therefore plans to bring together the representatives and providers of the two less developed adult education regions each, to give them the opportunity to exchange their experiences, challenges and developments. They will discuss the European Agenda in their countries and regions and identify the challenges and necessary steps for the further developments. These recommendations will be discussed with and presented to the national coordinators of the relevant countries and the European Commission (EC).

Partners: 1. European Association for the Education of Adults (Belgium) 2. Deutsches Institut für Erwachsenenbildung (Germany) 3. KVS – Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation (Finland) 4. Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband e.V (Germany) 5. FOLAC – Learning for Active Citizenship (Sweden) 6. International Organisation for Migration Vienna (Austria) 7. Educational Disadvantage Centre, St Patricks’ College (Ireland) 8. HYDRA (Turkey) 9. DAFNI KEK (Greece) 10. Danish Adult Education Association (Denmark) 11. La Ligue de l’enseignement (France) 12. National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (United Kingdom) 13. Estonian Non-formal Adult Education Association (Estonia) 14. NGO Home of Science and Technology (Bulgaria) 15. Movimiento Por la Paz El Desarme y la Libertad (Spain)

Aims and objectives: • Strengthening the European Agenda, especially in these two regions • Bringing together the ‘top-down’ and the ‘bottom-up’ • Providing a state-of-the-art report as a basis for discussions • Strengthening the networking • Providing feedback about the developments to the EC

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• Providing recommendations about the next steps • Strengthening civil society and its cooperation • Facilitating transfer of innovation within the two regions.

The EC will receive recommendations so that it can continue the work with more grassroots level input. The National Coordinators will be part of the project and have the opportunity to exchange their approaches within the regions and with civil society organisations from their own and neighbouring countries. Civil society organisations in the two regions (i.e. adult education institutions) will be invited to participate in the meetings and to contribute to the report. The other regions of Europe (i.e. national coordinators as well as civil society) will be informed and can take the developments into account.

We believe that the project can really positively influence, contribute to and push forward the European Agenda for adult learning, thereby improving the situation of adult education in the two regions where it is weakest.

Partners: Kerigma (Portugal) Association of Adult Education Institutions in the Slovak Republic (Slovakia)

AE-PRO - EUROPEAN ADULT EDUCATION (YOUNG) PROFESSIONALS LEARNING PLATFORM Many adult education staff do not have formal training in adult education. EAEA knows from members that there is a huge need and interest to learn more about European policies, programmes and other countries’ systems and innovations. We therefore propose an online learning format in order to reach more participants and to make it affordable.

An exchange between staff generations, the learning from experts but also peers means a real added value and exploiting existing resources. People can do the whole training (and receive a portfolio), but individual online sessions according to interest and time resources can be accessed, too.

The project will develop a European training for adult education staff with the following components: • Online peer-learning platform with cross-national & intergenerational exchange of expertise and EU contents; • Mobility platform • Portfolio to complement national certification • Mobility charter for hosts • Network of trainers & experts The project targets: • Adult education staff (especially younger) across Europe – through EAEA and its EAEA younger staff network. We promote the cooperation of adult educators and their innovative potential.

They will increase their knowledge, learn from their peers, do a mobility and network. This will have a direct impact on the quality of adult education.

• Adult education organisations and providers will profit from each other´s innovations and knowledge as well as receive better information about European developments, through sharing knowledge and experience with others. The project will give the opportunity to create networks and links to other organisations in Europe, which will promote a European area of adult education and increase the professionalisation and quality of adult education staff.

• Policy makers will receive better feedback from adult education institutions, based on better knowledge.

8. ICAE (Uruguay) Contractor: Danish Adult Education Association (Denmark) PROJECTS EAEA IS PARTNER IN: BELL – BENEFITS OF LIFELONG LEARNING The aim of the BeLL project is to analyse wider benefits of non-vocational adult learning in nine European partner countries. The focus will be on non-formal adult education, which is usually based on voluntary participation and non-vocational topics. The target groups are active adult learners, highly educated as well as lower educated persons, who have participated in non-formal education courses. The key idea is to collect comparative data referring on a research framework from an earlier study conducted in Finland in 2008 (Manninen & Luukannel 2008). Comparative data about learning opportunities and wider benefits will help member states to estimate their own situation, as well as to make evidence based decisions about development of provision of lifelong learning opportunities.

Outcomes of the project: • Increase in knowledge about adult education in Europe • Exchange of innovation across Europe • Quality and professionalisation of adult education staff and providers.

Partners: 1. Kerigma, Portugal 2. Danish Adult Education Association (Denmark) 3. RIO - Rörelsefolkhögskolornas intresseorganisation (Sweden) 4. NIACE - National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (United Kingdom) 5. AES - Adult Education Society (Serbia) 6. KVS - Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation (Finland) 7. VHS-Saarland (Germany)

The project has the following objectives: (1) To map liberal adult education opportunities available in different member states; (2) To examine the wider benefits of non-formal adult education in European countries and regions. International comparisons will provide evidence on

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the question whether and how the benefits of liberal adult education depend on different social framework conditions and cultural differences. This would provide evidence at EU level on how far more consistent policy in respect of adult learning should be implemented, and how far consideration should be given to differences between countries; (3) To support national policy development in the field of non-formal adult education. Quantitative and qualitative data will be collected and analysed by a team of 9 partners, both to underpin lifelong learning policy development, and to monitor progress towards lifelong learning objectives in the area of non-formal learning, identifying areas for particular attention; (4) To elucidate the relation between the wider benefits and the course related aspects, such as aim and topic of the studies, course format, teaching and learning methods, and composition of the group, in order to get evidence about how different andragogical decisions contribute to the better learning outcomes; (5) to inform adult education institutions and practitioners on the wider benefits (survey-feedback).

Duration: The project will come to an end in January 2014, but the results will continue to be disseminated and used in 2014 and 2015.

Coordinator: German Institute for Adult Education (DIE)

ENIL - EUROPEAN NETWORK FOR INTERGENERATIONAL LEARNING The main aim of the European Network in Intergenerational Learning is to promote Intergenerational Learning (IGL) by bringing together and supporting sustainable, effective practice in the field and by facilitating the exchange of ideas and expertise beyond individual projects, and by creating a mechanism for practitioners to influence policy and practice. The Network responds to the need identified among practitioners to offer a platform and incentives for fostering new ideas and new developments in intergenerational learning across Europe, and to provide the infrastructure for on-going exchange of expertise, good practice, news, research and developments in the field.

Duration: The project was supposed to have duration of 3 years (November 2010 - December 2013). However, the consortium obtained an extension from the Agency and thus run until the 31st March 2014.

Coordinator: Espace Pedagogie Formation France INFONET III InfoNet is a Grundtvig network project of Adult Education journals/media in Europe. The project increases cooperation between adult education journals and offers a newswire for adult education.

It is a European network of editors in the field of adult education and lifelong learning with the main objective to build

As results the project will: • Promote access of non-academic Roma women to the national systems of validation of informal and non-formal learning through the support of civil organisations; • Enable the Roma women to make contributions and recommendations in order to improve the impact and the accessibility of non-formal and informal validation systems; • Validate the non-formal and informal learning of 50 non-academic Roma women; • Encourage and help centres for adult education and civil society organisations to support and accompany non-academic Roma women in their process of informal and non-formal learning validation; • Carry out a lobbying campaign for national governments with the aim to incorporate the contributions of the project in the non-formal and informal learning validation systems and give policy makers concrete recommendations on how to do it.

a community for sharing experience, knowledge and material (news, articles etc.) for editorial work. To achieve this, InfoNet has established a web based information service for the dissemination of news on adult education with European relevance. From the second year, supported by an information bureau in Brussels, a regular information service is operating which works similarly to a news agency. InfoNet had members in almost all EU countries, including the journal LLinE (which is a trans-European web journal dedicated to the advancement of adult education, lifelong learning, intercultural collaboration and best practice research).

Duration: The financial support for the project will end in 2015.

Coordinator: Akademie Klausenhof Contractor: KEB (Catholic Association for Adult Education) ROM-ACT - WIDENING ROMA WOMEN´S ACCESS TO NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL LEARNING VALIDATION SYSTEMS The aim of ROM-ACT is to widen recognition of the skills and competences that the Roma community has acquired in formal and non-formal activities and to encourage centres for adult education and civil society organisations to support non-academic Roma women in their process of informal and non-formal learning validation.

Duration: 1.11.2012 – 31.12.2014 Coordinator: Romani Association of Women Drom Kotar Mestipen KNOW YOUR LIFESTYLE The final aim of “Know Your Lifestyle Introducing Sustainable Consumption in 2nd-chance education” project is to make learners acknowledge the link between local personal consumption and the resulting global impact, and thus give young people the opportunity to

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look critically at their own consumption and to develop alternative courses of action.

Results: • The development of teaching materials and training opportunities which will provide teachers with the capacity to deal with development education and globalisation; • Organisation of activities embedded with the second chance course that will involve the students and creation of curriculums; • A network in which experts not only in specific aspects of development politics, but also in development education or global learning get together and exchange methodologies and good practice.

Duration: 1.11.2012 – 31.1.2014 Coordinator: DVV international (Germany) AEMA (ADULT EDUCATION MADE ACCESSIBLE) The AEMA-Network aims at contributing to an increased participation rate of people with disabilities in adult education; increasing the number of adult education providers, who make a visible commitment to increasing accessibility; and spreading good practice and comprehensive information. The AEMANetwork therefore sets out an ambitious working programme taking into consideration the perspectives of and addressing:

- people with disabilities, - adult education providers and - experts on accessibility.

Duration: 1.01.2014 – 31.12.2016 Coordinator: Queraum. kultur- & sozialforschung ELINET – EUROPEAN LITERACY POLICY NETWORK General objective: Cooperation with institutions and organisations working in the field of literacy both at national and EU levels to promote effective literacy policies.

Specific objectives: • Organisation of network meetings of all Network Members and Core Members to share knowledge and expertise (as specified under Themes A and B), to decide on joint campaigns (as specified under Theme C), and to disseminate the Network’s outputs.

• Organisation of national and international workshops and seminars focused on particular issues relating to literacy in order to address and commit relevant stakeholders and to support practical change by means of the network’s expertise.

• Organisation of (as part of theme C) a central event in Brussels in autumn 2015 around International Literacy Day (8 September) in order to highlight the importance of literacy and to address important stakeholders and possible sponsors for future support.

• Organisation of, in close cooperation

with the European Commission, one final European Conference to share results of the network with a wider audience.

Duration: 01.02.2014 – 31.01.2016 Coordinator: University of Cologne (Germany) PROJECTS IN WHICH EAEA IS THE APPLICANT ORGANISATION (The contract will depend on the approval by the relevant agencies): AVA – ACTION PLAN FOR VALIDATION AND NON-FORMAL ADULT EDUCATION In 2012, the Council approved recommendations on validation. The plan is that member states have validation systems in place by 2018. We have now had 20 years of national and European practice, but it is still very fragmented. Later this year, the European Commission will also publish an updated version of the European Inventory on validation and new Guidelines. However, the partners believe that member states will face big challenges (and in some even resistance) while putting in place such systems and thus they should be supported more.

A major role could be played by adult education providers and stakeholders, which are often the implementing bodies of the validation systems. By analysing tools and methodologies in different European countries and proposing solutions from the civil society perspective, this project will contribute to reducing

the fragmentation on different levels, namely policy and practice. The project should show possible solutions, explore the best practices and strategies for validation for the disadvantaged, contribute to an exchange of tools, procedures and experiences.

on the survey. The survey is meant for adult education providers and stakeholders in order to get grassroots feedback from concerned organisations, to find out their experiences and practices and to understand their challenges and fears.

The two main objectives and themes are: • Contributing to a reduction in the number of low-skilled adults (re-skilling and up-skilling of adults); • Facilitating the validation of non-formal and informal learning and its permeability with formal education pathways.

The timeline of the project will be: • In December 2014, we will organise the kick-off meeting, which will introduce the partners, decide on the survey and the evaluation, start the dissemination and discuss the European Inventory and Guidelines. Further activities will be the collection of feedback on online communication and the discussion of online articles.

• January – September 2015: The survey will be published and a follow-up (clarifications etc.) and analysis conducted.

• October 2015: 2nd Partner meeting in Vienna (1 1/2 days); Discussion of survey results, preparation of concept of expert seminar, dissemination etc.

Linked to: Jour fixe - 1-day multiplier event in Vienna: a lecture, a critical response to the lecture and a discussion with field-experts, stakeholders, students and university staff.

• October 2015 – December 2015: Prepare the concept of the expert seminar, organisation of the logistics, promotion of the event.

• January 2016: Expert seminar. This 2-day seminar will bring together about 40 experts that will debate the main themes and the outcomes of the

EAEA is the main umbrella organisation in Europe for non-formal adult education providers. Nordic Network for Adult Learning (NVL) has worked on validation in the Nordic countries for a long time and has a number of expert networks that can contribute to the discussion but also disseminate the results. The other partners, Kerigma, VOEV, Learn for Life and EUROED, have wide-ranging projectand validation experiences that will contribute to making this project a success.

The consortium represents a geographic diversity that will benefit the project and contribute to a wide-ranging level of experiences that will benefit the project.

We will establish an online communication room. All partners will post their materials on validation. Next steps will be the reading of Inventory and examining Guidelines and the launch of debate

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survey. They will also exchange experiences, explore the main challenges and propose possible solutions. The 2-days event will be linked with a 3rd partner meeting (Norway). Introduction and final sessions will be held together, otherwise we’ll split into two strands that will discuss one of the objectives each.

• January 2016 – May 2016: Preparation of Action Plan. Drawing on the results of the survey and the expert seminar, key messages and actions will be proposed; preparation of policy debate.

• May 2016 – Policy debate (+ final partner meeting).

• June – August 2016: Sending out and following up the action plan; Questions on impact; Final report.

One of the key issues for the impact will be that participants in the project but also the wider adult education community will be able to develop and learn how things could be done. They will learn from others, gain insight into different tools, develop different approaches, propose possible solutions, develop partnerships between systems and sectors and understand existing European tools better. For the individual learners, this project will mean better validation, more quality and better recognition across systems. For policy-makers we will provide more practice-based evidence for better policy-making.

We believe that the materials and outputs will remain useful and will be used at least until 2018, the deadline for the

implementation of national validation systems. We will therefore use them on European and national levels for further advocacy. The materials will remain on the websites of EAEA and NVL where interested parties can download everything they need.

operation for innovation and the exchange of good practices - Strategic actions in the field of education, training and youth Coordinator: Association of participants Àgora - http://www.edaverneda.org/ edaverneda/en

PROJECT APPLICATIONS WITH EAEA AS A PARTNER

LET EUROPE KNOW ABOUT ADULT EDUCATION This project builds the experience of the Grundtvig network „European InfoNet Adult Education“ (www.infonet-ae.eu).

The aim of this project is to address journalistic competence as an important professional competence of adult education staff.

EDU-FIN: DEVELOPING PARTICIPATIVE PROCESSES FOR THE GENERATION OF A FINANCIAL EDUCATION CURRICULUM ADDRESSED TO YOUNG ADULTS AT RISK The project aims at planning and developing a learning programme on financial literacy addressed to youth of disadvantaged groups in society to promote entrepreneurship education to build up active citizenship, employability and new business creation, supporting future learning and career paths for individuals in line with their personal and professional development.

The main objectives of the project are to: 1. get better information, training and understanding of • the journalistic competences of adult education staff; • current available professionalisation/ training opportunities for adult education staff on journalistic skills and ways of working; • how to coach and train adult education staff in journalistic ways of working ; • reporting about adult education in mass media; • how to increase awareness about adult education in Europe.

2. Awareness raising for and promoting of adult education in Europe through • reaching and informing a wider European general public/audience about adult education (in particular basic skills,

Results/Impact: • Improved levels of skills of young adults between 18 and 30 in situation of social risk for employability and new business creation; • Increased opportunities for their professional development; • Increased sense of initiative and entrepreneurship; • More active participation in society.

Duration: 2 years Funding: ERASMUS+: Key action 2 - Co-

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OERs) through journalistic means; • professionalisation (coaching and training) of adult education staff on journalistic ways of working; • improvement of the level of key competences and transversal skills of adult education staff; • informing about and motivating national, regional and local policy makers to invest in lifelong learning; • enhancing ICT uptake in teaching and learning (such as OERs).

3. Increase of awareness, participation and investment in adult education, through providing • incentive and expertise for the adult education community to initiate more journalistic activities on adult learning; • development of training and tools on how to improve people’s awareness and knowledge on lifelong learning, which means an increase in the lifelong learning benchmark through journalistic activities directed at the general public; • a stronger support for the European agenda on adult learning and awareness raising activities for a European lifelong learning agenda.

Duration: 3 years Funding: ERASMUS+: Key action 2 - Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices - Strategic Partnerships for adult education Coordinator: KEB Katholische Erwachsenenbildung Deutschland - Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft e.V.

LIVE AND LEARN The project starts from two observations, or needs: 1) Participation in adult education must be increased across Europe; 2) New ways of sharing best practices among adult European educators must be found.

operation for innovation and the exchange of good practices - Strategic Partnerships for adult education Coordinator: Kansanvalistusseura / The Finnish Lifelong Learning Foundation (Finland)

Other sources of income – project partnerships, project dissemination packages, younger staff trainning – will continue but in a different format due to the changes in the programme.

14. FINANCES

The project proposes to produce professional-quality short high-definition (HD) videos on adult learning. They will serve as a practical tool both for adult education professionals/teachers and as advocacy tools for adult education advocators. Videos will be produced in five countries for two target groups: for adult educators and for the general public and policy makers.

After a long period of uncertainty, there are now operating grants for European associations in the Erasmus+ programme (Key activity 3 – civil society cooperation). EAEA applied for a grant and is currently waiting for the evaluation. In 2014, the grant is for one year only with a ceiling of 125.000 Euro. We hope that there will be longer-term framework contracts with a higher ceiling from next year onwards.

Results/Impact: This project will produce innovative adult education promotional material for the use of adult educators and adult education advocators. It thus aims at bringing positive and long lasting effects to the adult education professionals to support their work and also bring adult education closer to the general public in an understandable and easy-access form. The videos produced will be integrated into project partners’ existing communications and they will be made available for different advocates of adult education throughout Europe.

EAEA also continues to be coordinator of a Grundtvig network for the period of 1.12.2011 – 30.11.2014, which brings in a substantial amount of money. Due to the accounting rules, all the payments will be booked as ‘advances’ in our accounts until the final report will be approved. EAEA also coordinates an accompanying measure (RENEWAL) and a 3-year Multilateral Project (AE-Pro, although the Danish Association has taken over as contractor), so there is additional income through these projects.

Duration: 2 years Funding: ERASMUS+: Key action 2 - Co-

staff will work a percentage of their time for EfVET and EAEA is being paid.

15. MEMBERSHIP At the beginning of 2014, EAEA will do another membership survey and base its continued membership work on it. Tania Berman had started as a Membership Officer in 2013, and this job will now be taken on by Raffaela Kihrer. Thanks to their work, the number of member applications at the GA 2014 will be higher than in the last few years. By improving membership services (dedicated project website etc.), we hope to make EAEA more attractive for existing and potential members.

16. STAFF Currently, the following staff members work for the EAEA: Brussels: Gina Ebner, Secretary-General (80% with time credit scheme) Tania Berman, Policy Officer Valentina Chanina, Office Manager Francesca Operti, Project Officer Raffaela Kihrer (28 hrs / week), Membership and Events Officer

EAEA continues to have an agreement with EfVET (European Forum for Vocational Education and Training). The EAEA

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Thor Rutgersson, Grundtvig Assistant Helsinki: Helka Repo, Communications Officer (replacing Aura Vuorenrinne who is on maternity leave).

17. NEW OFFICE EAEA will move into a new office at the end of August 2014 and join the project Mundo-J. The office’s new address is: Mundo-J, Rue de l’Industrie, 10, 1000 Bruxelles. The office will be situated on the 6th floor.

18. MEETINGS OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD The meetings of the Executive Board are necessary for the decision-making of EAEA. Additionally, the meetings are held in different countries, which enable the Executive Board to meet with policy makers and (potential) member organisations in order to learn more about the situation, challenges and needs of adult education organisations in the respective countries. In 2014, meetings will be held in Paris, Athens, Tallinn and Sarajevo.

FORECAST 2015 Many of the activities that are starting in 2014 (or have been going on for a longer period) will continue in 2015.

Additionally, EAEA will concentrate on two main themes: Adult education and development In order to contribute to the European Year of Development but also the continuation of the post-2015 debate, EAEA will put a focus on adult education and development.

Adult education and health In 2015 EAEA is focusing on “health” as the main advocacy theme. Health is important for adult education in different ways. Health education is the working field of many of our members.

On the other hand, recent study shows that adult education contributes in many ways to health and wellbeing of adults.

1. Health education Many of our members offer courses in health education or courses that have a direct link to participants’ health (movement, cooking etc.). These courses are often undervalued although their importance seems to be evident.

increased self-esteem which increases social activity and capacity and improves mental health/interest in physical wellbeing. This information needs to be spread more widely and the results need to be understood more clearly.

CAMPAIGN PLAN

Possible activities and a preliminary schedule.

ACTIVITY

TIME

WHO

Dissemination plan (after the board meeting) Workshop with members to prepare the theme in-depth Discussion paper with membership Meeting with other stakeholders on the issue Collection of good practices in health education and in innovative partnerships with the health sector Conference/policy debate Policy paper Publication “How adult education benefits health” targeted to politicians Dissemination of the publication

April – May 2014

EAEA Communications officer

October-November 2014

EAEA and members

December 2014 (End of) January 2015

EAEA and members EAEA

Online survey February - April 2015

EAEA and members

May 2015 June 2015 September 2015

EAEA EAEA EAEA Communications Officer

October 2015 onwards

EAEA Communications Officer

2. Health as a benefit of adult education The BeLL study demonstrates that participants experience better health and wellbeing as a consequence of participating in adult learning. As a “chain reaction” adult education contributes to 13

This organisation has been funded with support of the European Commission (EC). This publication reflects the views only the author, and the EC cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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