EmPower Up!
,,Empowering adult educators- exchange of best practice for the benefit of local communities” is a partnership project in collaboration with Fundacja Strefa, Inicijativa - Centar za edukaciju and Center Spirala, with which we aim to enhance and develop competences of adult educators such as: personal, social, creativity, language and learning to learn competences. We believe that fostering those competences will have a positive and direct influence on adult learners in Partner's local communities. Thanks to this, citizens will be able to develop their citizenship and initiative competencies.
The first step of this project was the Train the Trainer workshop, hosted by VVIF in May 20-24 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria. 11 adult educators from Poland, Slovenia, Croatia and Bulgaria came together to upgrade their skills and share best practices in engaging neighbourhood communities in their countries.
For five incredible days, our trainers and participants explored innovative methods and strategies to empower local communities such as neighbourhood community spaces, storytelling, participatory arts, and SELcoaching.
In this collaboration, the partnership created a Guide with step-by-step practical application on how to use methods of work presented during the Train the Trainer workshop. This Guide targets educators, animators, leaders, volunteers, members of NGOs, and others who work with local communities and wish to expand their methods, knowledge, and competencies.
On November 29-30, the Values, Virtues, Integrity Foundation participated in a Neighborhood Forum in the Polish city of Lodz, organized within the framework of the project. The event brought together local residents, educators, animators, and representatives of non-governmental organizations to present innovative methods of community engagement.
The forum included a variety of workshops and trainings, including a creative soap-making workshop and an improvisation workshop, which provided new approaches and techniques for informal learning. During the event, methods for organizing urban games that promote inclusion and active participation were presented.
VVIF also held a workshop on shadow theater - an innovative method of working with communities, which inspired participants to apply what they learned in their activities.
The hosts of the forum distinguished themselves with a well-organized program, and the project partners contributed valuable experience and ideas that enriched the process of exchanging good practices.
