MAIN GOAL OF THE COURSE WAS:

TASKS OF THE COURSE WERE:

• To share and learn from each country‘s experiences in running adult learning weeks; to discuss and reflect upon how these weeks help build the local community and international connections, and how this, in turn, works to prevent and decrease social exclusion.
• To acquaint adult educators from other European Union members and candidate members with the Lithuanian adult learners‘ week, the structuring of the adult education system within Lithuania and Lithuanian adult education institutions.

METHODOLOGY:

• Regional seminars helped to present and discuss the results of the reseach concerning socially-excluded groups, with further educational opportunuties held at individual and cooperating institutions. Events included "open doors" days, round-table discussions, meetings with regional and local authorities, cultural days/celebrations, and the education of ethnic minorities. Also, radio and television broadcasting to raise awareness of the situation concerning socially-excluded groups and adult education.
• A one day video-conferences to summarise and consolidate what has been achieved and learned over the course of adult learners‘ week. Presentation of Lithuanian adult educators 10-year experience locally and internationally.
    Events and activities that took place throughout Lithuania in adult learners‘ week :
  • Acquaintance with the Lithuanian adult education structure and the activity of the Lithuanian Association of Adult Education
  • Presentation of visiting country members‘ experience in running adult learners‘ week
  • Discussion of how language-learning promotes European citizenship and intercultural learning (adult education institutions‘ exhibition at Vilnius Technical Library, round-table discussion at Soros International House)
  • Presentation and analysis of research on socially-excluded groups within member countries and Vilnius region
  • Acquaintance with and discussion of how the labour market addresses the problem of social exclusion (seminar at Lithuanian Association of Adult Education Regional Information Centre, Vilnius, round-table discussion at Vilnius Labour Market Training
  • Acquaintance with how artisanship and folk art activities help rehabilitate the socially-excluded
  • Acquaintance with, and discussion of how the activities of community centres re-integrate the socially-excluded back into the society ("open door" day at the estate academy of Rumsiskes Museum, discussion with Kulautuva community members)
  • Presentation of Lithuanian adult educators‘ 10-year experience locally and internationally: the creation of an effective and influental structure of formal and non-formal adult education that fosters life-long learning and continues to make a positive impact at regional and state level
  • Evaluation and conclusions on research of socially-excluded groups within different communities: sharing effective strategies
  • Kaunas technological dissemination of the Grundtvig program ideas (video conference at university distance learning centre)
  • Discussion of how to integrate new ideas and strategies within each country‘s individual context
  • Incorporating a plan of sustainability: how this intercultural learning experience will positively effect future and current activities of grundtvig program and its projects, and partnership between different European countries.
  
  
• The final event of the seminar was the dissemination of Grundtvig ideas. Presentations were made by the participants about their experiences within their own countries in running adult learners‘ week; about the Grundtvig program itself, and how intercultural learning, partnership, and the sharing of experience facilitates the achievement of the goals of European citizenship and presence in the European dimension, and about what they learned over the course of intercultural learning in Lithuania. Current Grundtvig 1, 2 and 3 program projects within Lithuania were presented to encourage adult educators‘ participation in the Grundtvig program.