Projects

@Learn was a multilateral Grundtvig project which united partner organizations from five European countries with the aim of fostering the idea of active ageing and lifelong learning. The project’s goal was to promote an understanding of ageing as an enriching part of the life course and to establish an active aging learning community which raises awareness about and educates on topics like health care, social inclusion, new media and intergenerational solidarity. To reach this, we brought together older adults aged 60+ and younger people aged 16-35 in all partner countries to create a vibrant and rewarding cross-generational learning community.

As many people as possible from all Danube countries were invited to crochet a woolen carpet that symbolizes the river Danube. The challenge: To make the so called “river carpet” as long as possible and to integrate people regardless of their age, social background, education and language skills. The aim was to demonstrate the solidarity amongst the Danube countries. The big finale was a cultural performance in which all the small parts of the big carpet were exhibited on the Cathedral square in front of the Ulm Cathedral during the international Danube Festival in 2014. Once the project was finished, the so called “Danube-Rivercarpet” was divided into small pieces. These pieces were given away for donation.

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

This project promoted European cooperation and exchange of innovation and good practice related to the ageing population and to the educational preparation of those that work with older people. The project reconstructed the diverse educational approach by developing a European Competences Framework for working with the older people, sharing innovation in teaching and identifying factors that influence students in choosing to work with older people thus strengthening the quality of higher education for professions providing care for older people. The project directly targeted educators and management staff at the partners and other higher education institutions in Europe. The indirect target groups were the students, professional communities and older people themselves.