Projects

The project focuses on educating elderly learners about current economic issues. Danube Stories brings together organizations from different countries and different spheres of activity to work together and exchange best practices in areas such as adult social inclusion and the acquisition of new cultural and / or linguistic skills through formal and informal methods of education and training.

The main objective of the initiative is to ensure the strengthening of the role of third age people in the process of civil dialogue on all levels, exchange of ideas and knowledge between the generations, nations and cultures, aiming at improving the regional and local level social environment in the Danube countries by organizing qualified continuing education.

Older adults (55+) are an active age group with various life styles and social milieus. They differ considerably between and within countries – just like any other part of the population. The project focuses on providing experiences and improving competences necessary for the integration of third-age citizens into the workforce.

The project work started with a short research about volunteering in all partner countries. 5 regular transnational meetings ensured a good project progress. During the meetings partners worked in groups, discussing different aspects of volunteering. Older learners and volunteers have always participated in the meetings, as their meaning and approach was very important. Discussion groups, involving volunteers and volunteer organizations were also created on national level. The SenVol project showed the volunteering of elderly people in different contexts and cultures of the participating countries and showed that today our society does not really work without volunteering. It also highlighted the learning process that takes place during volunteering.

The project tends to create a simple text for the teaching of English to adults and elders essential to break down barriers, to communicate and be understood not only by native speakers but also by people belonging to different linguistic contexts. Therefore it was essential to examine the specific teaching methods to train English teachers who, in turn, in a simple and very basic way could pass on the learning of English to adult students who are part of Europe's Third Age Universities united and in need of the knowledge of English.

The Danube Bridge Breakfast was a public two-hour event on a bridge crossing the Danube in Ulm/Neu-Ulm. The educational network “The Danube-Networks” hosted this event with the intention to create the opportunity for the Danube neighbors to get to know each other while tasting bread and small regional delights from the Danube countries. In a relaxed environment, the participants were given the possibility to get to know people from different cultures and backgrounds, to see the diversity within unity in Europe, and to get the feeling of what a peaceful European unity means in real life. The event was open to everyone, free of charge and was part of the International Danube Festival in Ulm.a

CINAGE – a Grundtvig multilateral project, supported by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme – was composed of interlinked activities resulting in the production of a learning package, for use by adult educators and aimed at empowering older people towards achieving a more active ageing.