Ways to adapt to a new environment Violeta Mirinaviciute

Still Active- – A Communication Tool for Fighting Social Isolation Project aims to provide senior citizens from vulnerable groups, in particular from disadvantaged or rural areas, with a communication tool- English Language, that will encourage and stimulate them to continue being a part of a busy and changing world, thus breaking personal, cultural and social barriers and thereby improving the quality of life

Project partners Soros International House, LT – coordinator International House Tallinn, EE HT-METKA OY ( Ltd), FI Folk University in Uppsala, SE Adult Education Center of Kuldiga region, LV

Objectives Stimulate the mental abilities Encourage personal development Motivate to start learning again Improve and develop ICT skills Improve English language skills Raise cultural awareness of Baltic and Nordic countries Provide with a possibility for international interaction Inspire active participation in social life Stimulate the growth of self confidence

Steps Contacting potential social partners-associations of senior people, third generation universities and etc. Designing web based platform for virtual tours Designing and prepared the program-interactive units/modules for intercultural learning and development of EL skills Implementing the program

Program Selecting the sample topics for modules: creating personal profile presenting your city, village or region sharing experiences and hobbies suggesting most popular national cuisine presenting famous people in each country presenting folk arts of their countries searching for common things related to history or culture

Implementing the program Face to face lessons for elderly learners with EL teachers Working with interactive units: creating short stories, taking pictures, making audio records on a given topic and downloading them on the platform sending feedback on the materials reported on the platform from other countries evaluating and self-evaluating the achieved results in formal and informal ways Organizing a face to face workshop-improvised module lesson and a folk art and national cuisine exhibition in Latvia

Adaptation to a new environment When you go to a new place, such as a new country or even a new city, you often enter a culture that is different from the one you left. The differences between cultures can make it very difficult to adjust to the new surrounding How can you begin to feel comfortable in your new surroundings? Learning the Language

LLP GRUNDTVIG Multilateral networks INTEGRA Migrants' Integrating Kit - Basic Language for Dealing with Financial Matters

Project aims To work together with social partners such as migrant communities and financial institutes to create a Europe wide network of relevant institutes in order to reach migrants in partner countries to improve their integration into local society by providing them with opportunities to gain language skills on basic financial matters.

Partners SOROS INTERNATIONAL HOUSE – LT (coordinator) DIAN - Training and Management Activities – GR Dialoge language institute – DE Instituto de Formacion y Studios Sociales IFES - ES Universität Bremen – DE HASRETİ SÜLEYMAN EGİTİM VAKFI – TR Smashing Times Theatre Company – IE Pressure Line V.O.F. – NL EuroEd Foundation – RO DHE Solutions Ltd. – GB AKADEMIA HUMANISTYCZNO-EKONOMICZNA W LODZI - PL INTERNATIONAL HOUSE – BY (third country partner )

Target groups Migrants to old EU member states – migrants from new EU member states - new migrant communities with new traditions – migrants from outside the EU - old communities of migrants with old traditions from third countries Migrants to new EU member states – migrants from third countries – people from new EU member states migrating to EU countries

The specific objectives analyse migrants needs in terms of basic local language knowledge in relation to financial matters, financial terminology, basic financial documentation as well as specifics of financial systems in partner countries in order to fulfil everyday needs compare good practice used for introducing basic local language on financial matters and basic country specific financial operations in old EU member states as well as in new EU member states collect materials for the development of an essential Kit for migrants organise and implement trainings together with language professionals and financial experts to representatives of migrant communities in order to cascade that training to ultimate beneficiaries-migrants of the partner countries collect materials to create and develop an active web portal with the support and direct involvement of social partners

The general objectives are to enhance the basic language skills of migrants living in partner countries, specifically relating to financial matters migrants’ potential for mobility within the EU labour market intercultural learning and empathy in migrant communities for international communication in different countries self-confidence among migrants ability to break personal and cultural frontiers

Main outputs Created European network of fitted trainers from migrant communities able to continue delivering the skills to final beneficiaries Developed Useful Kit of financial terminology, financial glossary and a guide with main information on financial institutes or financial information sources Created constantly updated long-time after project is over active webportal integrating all the useful financial information, on-line trainings, contact information and networks data

The project will impact on migrant communities members, which will be using the Kit developed during the project and the web portal for their everyday needs and will be trained by the trainers-representatives from migrant communities, equipped with the methodology to educate wider range of migrants migrants, who do not belong to migrant communities involved in the project, will be able to use the web portal and Kit for their self-learning of basic language on financial matters general public, who will use the Kit and web portal materials as an in-formal way of learning educational institutes, would use project materials as a non-formal way of teaching