Development of Elderly’s Digital Skills Through Family learning ( 2020-1-LT01-KA204-077965-E10174721) is an Erasmus +KA204 project -  Strategic Partnerships for adult education.

Project partners are:

1. Utena A. and M. Miskiniai Public Library – Lithuania (coordinator)
2. Fondatsiya “Tsennosti, dobrodeteli, integritet” – Bulgaria
3. ASSOCIAZIONE CULTURALE EDUVITA E.T.S. – Italy
4. NAZILLI HAYAT BOYU OGRENME DERNEGI – Turkey
5. UNIVERSIDAD DE CASTILLA – LA MANCHA – Spain
6. Pärnu Central Library – Estonia

Rapid technological and social change encourages people to adjust to new situations in their life. However, unfavorable circumstances, such as age-related lack of certain skills and lower motivation to learn, for many becomes an obstacle in their integration. Older people need to improve their digital competences as they have fewer qualifications in the rapidly growing technology sector. Because of that, they are unable to take full advantage of public services and virtual communication tools. As a result, their quality of life is affected.

In order to deal with these challenges, it is important to create new training models by expanding the synergy of various adult training institutions and by improving the competences of their staff.

 The target group of the project are elderly people, adult educators, adult education organizations.

The aim of the project is to improve partners’ potential in developing the elderly’s digital skills by empowering adults’ educators to promote and organize family learning.

This type of learning is becoming increasingly popular around the world as it provides a range of opportunities for families to learn together. For the elderly, family learning can be the first step to taking up further learning opportunities. It leads not only to the improvement of one’s skills but also to active intergenerational communion, develops moral values and positive attitudes, uplifts mood and has a huge impact on health, family relations and lifelong learning.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES AND RESULTS

• 4 international experience exchange events will be arranged with a purpose to improve the competences of adults’ trainers on family learning. As a result, 40 adults’ trainers will broaden their professional horizons and grow their competences.

• New ideas for family learning will be generated and tested in all partner institutions. 120 elderly people and their family members will be involved – they will improve digital competences and discover the benefits and enjoyment of family learning.

• Examples of the best practices and success stories on the development of the elderly’s digital skills through family learning will be collected and published in an attractive online digital journal. The collection will serve as an ideas’ bank for various institutions involved in providing training for the elderly.

Stronger staff competencies will empower them to introduce new ways of training, implement new learning models, and continuously tailor services based on actual needs. Older generations across different communities will strongly benefit from that as it will allow them to remain sharp and knowledgeable on skills crucial for living a fulfilling and integrated life.

Between 19th and 22nd July 2021 VVIF hosted in Sofia the first project event - A training course on the topic of "Combining of arts education and digital skills for family learning". The training was attended by ten participants from all partner countries of the prject and 4 local volunteers.

The purpose of the event was to acquaint participants with the leading know-how of “Values, Virtues, Integrity” foundation in using collective creative processes for the purposes of social activation and inclusion of various vulnerable groups (with an emphasis on the digital aspects of the process) and other best practices of Bulgarian organizations and institutions in developing digital competences of adult learners in a family setting.

During the training the participants had a meeting with Global libraries Bulgaria foundation and series of creative and digital workshops theough the platforms Canva and Art steps. As a result of the training was reated a virtual exhibition that can be seen here .

Between 16 and 18 September 2021 In Parnu, Estonia took place the first transnational project meeting. Project partners met in the library and discussed the plan for the next project events and dissemination of the activities.

Between 19 and 22 October 2021 In Nazili, Turkey took place the second training within the project. The program was focused on handicrafts and how to create a family tree with the help of software. VVI foundation sent two participants to the training that disseminated the event in the next week through an online workshop on family trees for ten adult learners.

The third training of the project “ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR FAMILY LEARNING” was organized by Utena Public Library between 2^nd and 5^th of March 2022 in Utena and Vilnius, Lithuania. The program featured introduction to various digital tool for community outreach such as ACTIONBOUND, Atvirumo s@la, digital comics creation, augmented reality, etc. There was also a strong cultural program, including visits to the local municipality and the LITHUANIAN MUSEUM OF ETHNO COSMOLOGY, an educational program of baking traditional Lithuanian cake (Šakotis / Baumkuchen), presentation of a theater of silhouettes, etc.