LATE LIFE LEARNING – Discovering the Pathways for Cooperative Learning 2014, June – 2015, May

THE AIM The aim of the project is to improve project partner institutions’ potential in the older adults training through strengthening inter-institutional partnerships, sharing experiences, and exchanging ideas.

RATIONALE Elderly people often lack main competences: They often have fewer qualifications, especially in the technology sector. Knowledge and skills in technology field gained at the older age may help to keep the current job or provide opportunities for finding a better one. They are often less financially literate. Such knowledge may reduce the risk of the elderly taking up decisions disadvantageous for their financial well-being. They are very open in need of communication. After retiring they often lose connections with their work colleagues. They luck opportunities to communicate with people sharing similar interests and establishing new social connections. The knowledge elderly have in health issues are not adequate to their needs and desires – they cannot solve problems effectively or seek for behaviour changes related to their health (quit smoking, start exercising, etc.).

PARTNERS & PARTICIPANTS This project will unite trainers from 4 Nordic/Baltic countries around a common idea of late life learning. 7 institutions from Lithuania, Latvia, Sweden and Estonia joined the project aiming to strengthen their educational functions trough experience exchange and cooperation. The participants of mobility visits will be 36 adults’ trainers and trainings organizers people from each partner institution.

Institutions involved More and more often not only specialized institutions serve as venues for the late life learning (adults training centres, third age universities, etc.), but also libraries, NGOs or community organizations take up the same role.

PARTNERS & PARTICIPANTS 7 different institutions from Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia and Latvia will work together on project implementation: 1.Utena Third Age University (UTAU) 2.Utena A. and M. Miskiniai Public library (UVB) 3.The Library of Lidköping 4.Senior Center at Lidköping Municipality‘s Community Care Services Department 5.Campus Lidköping 6.Riga Central Library (RCL) 7.Pärnu Central Library The partnership will be managed by Utena Third Age University. A group of representatives, one from each partner organization will be responsible for the project coordination in each country and institution.

Objectives To improve the competencies of trainers through learning from each other. To provide training staff with a possibility to improve their foreign language and communication skills. To encourage partnership among the providers of the elderly training in local communities and at the international level, to reduce institutional reticence. To generate new ideas for seniors‘ training. To adopt good experience. To collect, analyse and share information about the needs of older adult learners, educational programs, methods and means offered in partner institutions. To identify examples of good and innovative experience. To highlight the importance of public libraries for the elderly learning.

Outcomes Outcomes In order to fulfil project‘s goal, partner institutions will offer exchange opportunities for groups of people who work in the field of older adults training. These specialists will have an opportunity to get acquainted with different approaches applied in partner countries. Such possibility will allow understanding peculiarities, similarities and differences of training the elderly in various national and cultural contexts. Also, give a chance to generate ideas during discussion sessions and later on adapt and apply the advanced practice gained through the meetings locally.

ACTIVITIES 4 mobility visits to all 4 partner countries – Estonia, Sweden, Latvia and Lithuania are planned throughout project‘s implementation period. Each mobility visit will be related to a specific topic of seniors’ training/learning. Due to that, 4 visit programs have been prepared / will be specified.

TIMETABLE Project‘s website and/or profile in Facebook September 1-7, First mobility visit. 10 trainers and training organizers from Latvia, Sweden and Lithuania come to Estonia, Pärnu. Participants will analyze elderly‘s training/learning challenges that various institutions face, discuss similarities and differences, find out about the tendencies in partner countries, get to know about Pärnu library‘s and other non-formal adults training institutions’ practical experiences. Results evaluation and summary (report) of the first mobility experience

TIMETABLE November, Second mobility visit. 8 trainers and training organizers from Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania come to Sweden, Linköping. Participants will analyze the content and methods of elderly’s training, discuss training programs and projects, look for ways to adapt various experiences to particular contexts. Participants will get to know the tendencies of elderly’s training in Sweden as well as Lidköping adults training institutions’ practical experiences. They will generate new ideas for improving trainings content and methods. Results evaluation and summary of the second mobility visit. Publication of success stories and examples of good experiences of seniors’ training on the project’s website.

TIMETABLE January, Third mobility visit. 10 trainers and training organizers from Lithuania, Estonia and Sweden come to Latvia, Riga. The participants will analyze opportunities, benefits and perspectives of the elderly’s training in inter-institutional and international partnerships level. They will define examples of good practices, generate ideas for possible collaborations, start inter- institutional relations, and get to know about the experiences of Riga central library and its branches in this field. Results evaluation and summary of the third mobility visit. Publication of success stories and good experiences of seniors’ training on the project’s website.

TIMETABLE May, Fourth mobility visit. 8 trainers and training organizers from Latvia, Estonia and Sweden come to Lithuania, Utena. The participants will analyze elderly’s motivational learning problems and ways to solve them, discuss means to evaluate training/learning results, get familiar with the experience of Utena Third Age University’s and its partners in this field, generate new ideas. Results evaluation and summary of the third mobility visit. Publication of success stories and good experiences of increasing learning motivation and evaluating training/learning results.

RESPONSIBILITIES Responsibilities of the participating institutions: To inform their communities and target groups. To host one mobility visit to their institution, to establish the agenda for it. To take over the documentation of the meetings and activities (Meeting report). To organize activities planned in the project. To collect the examples of good experiences and success stories and share them with project coordinator and other partners. To activate target groups to participate. To provide new ideas, suggestions. To communicate the results. To support project evaluation.