Origin is future (HerZu)takes up the topic of the European Year 2018: “Cultural Heritage”. With a small group of committed colleagues from institutions of adult and further education we are going to develop modules which will inspire, guide and support lecturers of adult education to work on objects and subjects of our cultural heritage in a region and a country. For this purpose, we will prepare a folder with material and we will offer a further training course during the term of the project (spring 2020).We will also contribute to the concept of the European Capital of Culture in the course of the project. In 2020, the European Capital of Culture is Galway (IR), which is the regional centre of the country where our partner institution has its place, and it is part of our programme to present the results of our project work there.With regards to content this project deals with historical matter, such as “important persons” and “memorials” in our own towns / countries, “place names” (streets, schools, squares, districts, etc.) which show that the people who have lent their names to those places played an important part in the past (as persons themselves or because of some research or initiatives connected with them). This approach also includes any involvement of the towns / the regions in historical “networks” (e. g. economic: Hanseatic League / architectural: Gothic / artistic: Arts and Craft movement, Bauhaus). Such phenomena, for that matter, show that cultural exchange and intensive communication – borne by the spirit of the respective time and its dynamics – worked well, even in pre-digital times. First of all, profound research work is necessary in order to reveal these connections between past – present – future and thus to conceive an approach to processes of learning in the field of adult education. This work will be the basis for the preparation of innovative material, the development of a further training course, of a model presentation / exhibition. The single stages of the work will be collected in a folder documenting the “step by step” method and they will be visualized using special patterns.Based on the various historical contexts which our research work has eventually brought forth the project work will mainly focus on presenting an example of a “journey through time and space” to our addressees. For this “journey”, we will draft short scenes which our project partners can then put into practice as “work stations” or “stage scenes” or, even, as literary examples to be supported by music. All the participating institutions have eagerly accepted that aim when the general project was conceived. Each institution is going to contribute concrete work based on persons, events, or memorable moments and mementos. However, at the same time, all the partners agreed that they might likely develop only one concept of such a “journey through time and space” during the project’s course. This will eventually be decided in view of our common work, as the basic data, i.e. all relevant research results and connections have to be collected, revised and adapted by the project partners before such a “kaleidoscope” can be worked out.“Origin is future” allows people to approach issues of our European cultural heritage based on contents as well as on developing methodical elements (digitalization, networking, gaining new competencies through comparative studies). Thus, the project work is closely related to the issues of the “European Cultural Heritage” (2018) and beyond we will develop modules which will also help people in future to identify their individual places (of themselves, their institutions, their homes) within the European network of science, art and culture.If we take seriously Europe’s current inner conflicts and insecurity, and if we find it important to point out perspectives which lend sense to a broad transnational community, then we can only justify that convincingly when we refer to our roots, when we remember and realize the experiences and the knowledge of many generations. In doing so we may eventually gain perspectives to form our future responsibly. Particularly against the background of immigration, populism and increasing nationalism identifying one’s own position carefully seems to be important. It is important not only to reassure ourselves but also to show the continuities and cultural achievements Europe has to those who come here and to demonstrate why it is important to continue along those lines. You cannot do so without having communicative and mediating strategies as well as means of a convincing presentation. Therefore, disregarding borders, such elements should certainly be developed in a form of transnational cooperation.

<< Objectives >>“Ecological destruction”, “climate catastrophe” are ubiquitous terms, “Fridays for Future”’s people demonstrate, often without substantiated facts or reliable information on changes and dangers concerning our environment. We aim at filling this void by collecting facts and documenting developments in our project which will offer knowledge on the interdependence of people and landscape, here in particular on the question what kind of risks and opportunities are connected with water bodies.<< Implementation >>Historical facts and current information will be collected in four different regions of Europe: Ireland (Atlantic coast, estuary), Belgium (inland river, waterway system with access to the open sea), Germany (shortest river in Germany, though of high importance), Latvia (coast on the Baltic Sea, estuary). Thus, we will furnish evidence on real dangers, on likely interventions, and on the issue of individual responsibility. Local excursions and walks will offer and illustrate regional information<< Results >>Reviewing and documenting the development of the interdependence of people and landscape, in the respective regions with reference to their water bodies, explaining the importance of water for production and trade and for a healthy living environment. Explaining real changes, but also identifying fearmongering. Advancing the idea of people’s individual responsibilities and furthering the awareness of the impact their individual decisions have on consumption and resources.In short: a wake-up call

<< Objectives >>The team will reflect the challenges of the pandemic 20-22, the examples selected will illustrate what kind of approaches in coping with the exceptional circumstances have been developed and which have been successful in absorbing social distance and working from home, as well as making up for economic, cultural and educational recessions, or which are rather not suited to these purposes.Analysis, reflection and discussion will enable us to achieve an overall evaluation and develop strategies.<< Implementation >>The project is divided into 8 steps. They are arranged consecutively and deal with examining, comparing, evaluating and refining, up to describing and developing recommended courses of action in the form of short scenes. There will be 8 conferences, one each at the places of the project partners in order to keep direct contact with each other => overcoming social distance!Working together will result in a joint play for the stage. It will directly be performed and recorded.as team production.<< Results >>As a follow-up to the pandemic our reactions to the regulations will be recalled, the strategies will be reviewed and evaluated. Starting from there, we will develop patterns of behaviour to be better prepared for similar future situations. The ideas how to cope with such situations will be put into scenes, controlled role-playing will reveal their everyday relevance and will make it easier to accept some approaches. Didactic material (book) in relation to the scenes will be developed.

European Biographies of Learning and Living => EuLeStages of learning are stages of living. In the course of their lives, people experience a lot of different situations of learning – formal and informal ones, either by choice or of necessity. Sometimes people will succeed, sometimes they will fail. They may start once more, but even then, they may fail again. On close examination, peoples’ processes and experiences of learning often show many ruptures.Particularly in the field of adult education it is important to offer a new chance to people who have previously failed. Very often they need help to organise their everyday lives, to define possible aims and establish a set of rules in order to assess their respective achievements. This project will mobilise partners from different educational institutions for adult education who want to improve the tools and devices which support and motivate “educationally frustrated” people. Examining and revising the conditions which impede or even seem to prevent peoples’ processes of learning will be at the centre of the project work.Against this background the focus will be on: family backgrounds previous educational experiences conclusive career planningtraditional role modelsconstant self-determination In the context of formal and informal adult education we meet students who have so far made various experiences and who now try to build a career based on circumstances which are very different in each case. Students who once tried and failed to pass their A levels sit next to those with A level certificates or proper vocational qualifications who want to improve their opportunities. And both groups are joined by students from abroad whose school systems and qualifications are not always compatible with their present lives.Some of those students aim straight at a professional career, some want better qualifications to find a new career and others do not know what they want and / or what they have to offer. In a multicultural society, we find divers concepts of living existing side by side. Students at our institutions live different everyday lives: They are single parents – mothers or fathersworking mothers and fathers – some of them do shift workwomen and men who, because of their migration backgrounds, have family ties as well as religious and social bonds which are rather foreign to uswomen and men who are just going through a radical change in their livespeople who formerly have dropped out of school or college because of psychological strain.Many of our students are often afflicted by self-doubt, they try to change their lives, to find new openings. They have dropped out of school, they have given up working. Growing up they have had many frustrating experiences so that when they make another attempt the students have accepted other people’s ideas of them as their own and therefore often have little or no confidence in their own gifts and abilities.Working successfully in the field of adult education means that teachers have to know what kind of students they encounter. Often, however, teachers do not know who the persons are with whom they are working, whom they are trying to teach. For in their everyday work teachers often believe that they are facing a homogeneous group, which in fact is not true. They believe that the students in front of them have a positive attitude towards learning and have taken a conscious decision of their own to come, but then again, this is often not true either.When we look at the students’ biographies of learning we will recognize that there arebiographies of learning which are controlled by outside influence, here the details will be enlighteningfragmented biographies of learning, here we should find out about the different sets of circumstancesbroken biographies of learning, here we have to explore the tangled and multifaceted causesgender-related biographies of learning, here we have to examine decisions determined by social roles.At first biographies of learning will be re-constructed and compared in order to determine backgrounds and effects more exactly. Then we will analyse their relevant factors and finally we will provide tools and devices to be used by teachers and lecturers. These will involve tools used for communication as well as specific training material to improve individual circumstances and to teach strategies of “learning to learn”.

Final Report (abstract) CLOU1.BackgroundThe project has been conceived against the background of more and more young people who fail taking their final exams at school or in their vocational training programmes, who drop out of school and thus contribute to a growing number of young adults without any qualifying graduation. While the project was running a new educational objective arose caused by the current influx of fugitives. The project group has reacted immediately and managed to include this target group into their general work concept at short notice.Furthermore, we observe that the teaching staff often feels left alone and overburdened in such difficult and demanding situations, which results in the fact that little happens to effectively improve the learners’ conditions.2.AimsTaken as a whole the project dealt with general educational aims – including most recent ones which focus on improving the structural possibilities of educational institutions and on optimizing the success of the individual learner. Suggestions on specific actions to provide support are meant to develop the resource “education” and to increase young adults’ chances to find employment. It was agreed that there is a great need to support students in developing their individual talents, in improving their key competencies and in outlining personalized teaching concepts. Therefore the project partners found it expedient to share, compare and jointly develop innovative concepts in a transnational project in order to devise suitable arrangements which will satisfy the needs mentioned above. This resulted in a further aim, namely to awake and to improve the fundamental understanding of all people involved because as many teachers as possible were meant to be included by such an educational initiative into a discussion and reflection of the topic with the intention to make them realize and interested in further training programmes. The intention was to clarify the relevance of individual offers of support and learning arrangements and to take up catchphrases, like ‘equal opportunities’ and ‘inclusion’, which are discussed emphatically, but which are not always adequately realized. In our project we focussed on counteracting, on using and further developing existing patterns, for these patterns are based on past experiences which were shared, evaluated and put into context in the course of the project. Additionally it was important for the project group to discuss the promotion of examples of mentoring, of individual support and of modifying curricula, as EU countries differ considerably in furthering such processes. Therefore sharing their respective experiences and opinions is particularly attractive among transnational partners. While pursuing our aims we have reverted to results of a ten-year-old project which was realized in the context of a Grundtvig strategic partnership (“Aller Anfang ist leicht”), for the partners of this project had already dealt with topics like support, encouragement and with developing individual structures of support and mentoring. 3.Participating organisations Seven partners were involved in this project thus representing various forms of schools and ways of learning: the partners in Gothenburg (SE) and in Bartin (TK) represented schools teaching young people (secondary schools / grammar schools), the partners in Amsterdam (NL), Tallinn (EE) and the associated institution in Paderborn (DE) represented adult education / second-chance education; and educational associations or institutions of popular education were represented by the partners in Leitir Moir (IR) and Pleven (BG). Thus it was possible to cover, to analyze and systematically take into consideration the problems of learners (and teachers) independent of a specific school form and across all age-groups.4.Main activitiesThe work schedule outlined in the application of the project was implemented: there were three obligatory “transnational conferences” (kick-off Oct. 2014 / May 2015 and May 2016), in addition there were – as proposed in the application – further meetings when the project partners were focussed on working intensively, i. e. on compiling material, and on developing and outlining steps and activities for counselling and support. Each partner institution sent two to four representatives, who participated in the obligatory “transnational conferences”. Additionally all partner institutions again sent two participants each to two major meetings in The Netherlands (spring 2015) and in Estonia (autumn 2015), and furthermore there were two meetings on a lower scale in spring and summer 2016 when the partners from The Netherlands (NL) and Bulgaria (BG) were represented by one participant each. These meetings were mainly concerned with outlining and designing the homepage, therefore it was important to have a small group of workers committed to their task. The partners’ interests and activities were guided by their agreemen