Innovative learning spaces
EPALE Online magazine November 2023
ec.europa.eu/epale
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In this magazine
• International EPALE conference
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• Belgian EPALE event
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• EPALE highlights adult learning
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Dear readers Last October 2023 the Belgian EPALE team organised a side event of the international EPALE Community Conference. Our theme of the day was singular but kaleidoscopic: ‘innovative learning spaces’, in order to get in touch with the skills for our future. Innovative learning spaces?… Behind this broad concept, we would like to shed light on another topic which is emerging more and more in Europe: so-called ‘third places’. For some of us, it doesn’t mean much, but we are surrounded by them all over our cities and rural areas. These third places, often citizen-managed, based on the principle of collective intelligence, co-creation and creativity with a social economy flavour, bring together people driven by shared ideals: solidarity, progress and innovation. Together, they are looking for solutions to the problems that our society has to face: the ecological and digital ‘twin’ transition, inclusion, sustainable food supply, territorial resilience, and so on. This EPALE-zine aims to give an overview of the many contributions, which have made the day’s programme rich and colourful. We sincerely hope that you will have a clearer and sharper view about third places and innovative learning spaces and that you will have the desire to find out more... by visiting the EPALE-website, clicking on the multiple links that you will find by turning these pages. But now, let’s dive into the fascinating world of innovative learning spaces!
Marco Cecchinato EPALE BE-FR
Chantal Pierlot EPALE BE-DE
Karine Nicolay EPALE BE-NL
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1. International EPALE community conference 2023
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On 10, 11 and 12 October 2023, EPALE hosted its international not-to-be-missed Community Conference The EPALE community celebrated the ongoing change, growth and evolution behind lifelong learning and skills acquisition, in the context of the European Year of Skills. Bloom! Skills for the future highlighted the potential of adult learning and education to empower people to successfully navigate labour market changes, engage citizens in society and democracy, and include everyone in learning. The 2023 Conference revolved around three themes. Watch the plenary sessions!
• Empower.
Workforce with the right skills
• Engage.
Skills for democratic life
• Include.
Inclusive skills opportunities
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Join EPALE! EPALE is an open platform for professionals in the field of adult learning. EPALE wants to support everybody in the European Union with a professional role in adult learning and strenghten the adult learning community.
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Make EPALE grow On EPALE you find inspiration in the content your colleagues share: news, blogs, events in the calendar... But you can also contribute! Share news from your organization or project. Write a blog or tell your own story. Make EPALE grow!
CONTRIBUTE TO EPALE
In the picture In 2023 EPALE puts he spotlight on 3 important topics. The national EPALE teams and members collect interesting articles, useful materials and practical examples about these topics.
THEMATIC FOCUSES
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2. Belgian event about innovative learning spaces
Watch the after movie!
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On 10 October 2023 EPALE Belgium organized a live event about innovative learning spaces Besides the online part of the EPALE Community Conference, local EPALE communities organised live events. In Belgium the 3 Belgian EPALE Support Services joined forces, in cooperation with the national coordinator for the European Agenda for Adult Education in Flanders. The topic of this event was innovative (third) learning spaces. The event took place in a very attractive and innovative learning space in the heart of Brussels, La Vallée. More than 100 participants got input throughout the day about skills for the future and more specifically about third places that turn out to be innovative learning spaces.
Read the blog on EPALE Innovative learning spaces: what’s in a name?
Pictures FWB - Jean Poucet
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Klara Engels-Perenyi Share strategies to bring learning closer to people How can vulnerable adults engage in learning life skills to better navigate life, now and in the future?
Ms Klara Engels-Perenyi, from the European Commission DG-Employment, opened the event with a plea to value also ‘life skills’ next to professional skills. The European Skills Agenda emphasises the role of non-formal adult learning for the benefit of individuals, the society and the economy. Action 8 ‘Skills for Life’ is particularly devoted to this issue, receiving additional momentum from the European Pillar of Social Rights (lifelong learning as a right). With Skills for Life, the focus is on a broad set of skills, competences and attitudes individuals might need to counter the current and future challenges in navigating life. Read more
Denis Stokkink Twenty European third places compared Behind the diversity, third places share some fundamental characteristics. “The term ‘third places’ covers a whole range of locations, activities and issues”, said Denis Stokkink from Pour la Solidarité. Open spaces are neutral spaces open to all. But behind this diversity they share some fundamental characteristics above all the desire to do things together, in order to live together better. Mr. Stokkink presented a comparative analysis of around twenty European third places, looking at the differences in the way they operate, the diversity of their activities and the issues they face. Read more
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Smart and La Vallée A community of creative entrepreneurs The spaces allow occupants to benefit from working conditions adapted to their needs. Smart, created in 1998 in Belgium, is a cooperative that supports thousands of self-employed workers in the development of their professional activities in a wide variety of sectors. Smart offers its members an original solution to create their own salaried jobs as well as a range of shared services in many areas: legal, financial, administrative, training, economic support, and shared work spaces. These spaces, of which LaVallée is a part, allow occupants to benefit from working conditions adapted to their needs and to be part of a community of creative entrepreneurs. LaVallée is a ‘creative hub’ in Molenbeek, Brussels. It offers 2000m² of event spaces to host exhibitions, concerts, performances, talks, workshops, artistic, cultural, social and/ or festive events. The ambition is to offer a varied program, aimed at a heterogeneous public.
Marie Godart Putting people at the heart of the space
The project ‘La Maison Folie’ in Mons took of in September 2021 with the idea to co-construct a new kind of living spaces, creating links between citizens, associations, artists, institutions and businesses. In these spaces people can express themselves, get together, invent, have a good time... La Maison Folie is constantly evolving and wants to put people back at the heart of its project: listening to their desires, their needs, their projects. Read more
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Maike Somers De Krook, more than only a library De Krook is not just a place of being quiet, but a place to read, learn and live
‘Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities’. This quote of library-expert David Lankes, says it all. A library is more than a lending point or a place where knowledge transfer takes place. These days, the role of a library is about helping people understand things that interest them, helping them to understand the world. “Read, learn live: it are the three pillars that truly flourish through crosspollination”, said Maike Somers from De Krook. “That’s why we encourage interactions in all directions. From reading to learning, learning to living and back.” Read more
Pierre-Alexandre Klein L’arbre qui Pousse Imagine a world that would regenerate soils and capture carbon, rethink supply and empower localism, reconnect people, switch from ‘for profit’ to ‘for-living’, be bio-centric rather than human-centric, revitalise rural areas and estate, empower citizens and trust participatory democracy, create social safe harbours, nurture new narratives and storytelling (new myths), knit webs of stakeholders (private, public, NGOs, citizens)… This was the dream that started l’Arbre qui Pousse in Ottignies, Louvain-la-Neuve. It is a place of experimentation, a third place that allows to rethink the relationships with energy, resources and living things, humans included. Read more
L’arbre qui Pousse planted 8000 trees/ bushes, has 30 inhabitants, hosts 12000+ people every year, has 40 entrepreneurs/ producers
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Sven De Wit Gatam and designer Tim Van Steenbergen make a collection together with newcomers and refugees REantwerp was created from a love for clothing, but knowing that the fashion sector is detrimental to people and the planet. Under the guidance of GATAM vzw and under the leadership of creative director Tim Van Steenbergen REantwerp works with refugees and newcomers to create limited collections based on the techniques, crafts and stories of newcomers. Read more
Barbara Stacher EU-support for innovative learning spaces Ms Barbara Stacher, senior expert, EU cultural and creative sectors policies DG EAC (Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture) presented funding possibilities offered by the European Union to support all kinds of third places, creative hubs, learning communities, or by whatever name innovative learning spaces are called. Read more
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breeding ground full of creativity
upgrade by art and culture
project incubator
a place for social & professional inclusion
a-typical modern living space there is always something to experience
a place where everyone is welcome
meets challenges of ecological transition
willing to see what happens when people meet experiment train and share together
young and old develop talents
new way of thinking about learning
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3. EPALE highlights the potential of adult learning to engage citizens
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EPALE focuses
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On the themes pages of EPALE you can find a wealth of contributions gathered by the EPALE community about several topics related to innovative learning spaces.
In the context of the European Year of Skills, throughout 2023 EPALE highlights the potential of adult learning and education to engage citizens in society and democracy, empower people to successfully navigate labour market changes, and include everyone in learning. To do so EPALE invites its community members to share their experiences on these thematic focuses: Engage: skills for democratic life, Empower: workforce with the right skills, Include: inclusive skills opportunities.
Share your own examples!
Read more
EPALE Community Stories 2023 How do you imagine and what do you wish for the future of education? How does adult learning need to change for the future? EPALE invited the adult learning community to share their view. Professionals in adult learning from all over Europe shared their stories.
Enjoy all stories
EPALE is available in all official EUlanguages. Select your own language and discover all the stories that are shared in your language!
EPALE-zine Innovative learning spaces
The EPALE live conference on 10 October 2023 in LaVallée in Brussels and this EPALE-zine is a collaboration between
Belgique Wallonie-Bruxelles
Ostbelgien
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Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.