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.

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.

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 members of the participating groups in the partners` locations, seniors as well as younger adults, prepared 3-5 personalized Town Tours on subjects of their choice and present them to members of partner groups from other countries as well as to other local older and young people and give them an understanding of their town. Cross-national exchanges enabled the projects` learners to gain know-how in the linguistic, cultural and historical backgrounds of other project members` living environments.

In the framework of the »Personal Town Tours«, a European Grundtvig Programme project (2012 - 2014), seven older students from Slovenian Third Age University gained knowledge and learned methods for exploring and then introducing their town. Under the mentorship of an architect they decided on three thematic itineraries thus validating their already gained knowledge of architecture and urbanism.