Description
For achieving critically minded and socially active people's participation in the society, important role is attributed to adult educators. Their own civic awareness and readiness to promote civil dialogue and debate is an important precondition for positive change in the society. Therefore, there is a need to deepen adult education staff knowledge and skills related to citizenship and integration of development of citizenship competences (democratic, intercultural, critical thinking, creativity, etc.) into content and practices of adult education. The project is intended to respond to this need. It aims to improve competences of adult educators in the area of citizenship and civic consciousness what will create prerequisites and opportunities for development of adults‘ citizenship competences. During the project 8 adults educators/experts will be trained. During the learning visit in Norway they will familiarize with the methodology for citizenship competences development and then arrange national training events (3 training seminars) during which using cascade principle will transfer their knowledge and experience to their peers (the adults education staff) in Lithuania. The latter together with adult students will test the gained knowledge and elements of the methodology by planning, implementing and reflecting the cases of citizenship. Main results expected of the project: Study visit in Norway; 3 seminars in Lithuania; 5 adult educators-experts and 40 adult education professionals, who improved their qualification in the field of civic awareness, active citizenship, diversity, development of citizenship competences; methodology, describing concept of citizenship, methods for developing civic competences and presenting practical manifestation of citizenship cases; conference, during which the lessons learned during the project will be reflected; and recommendations, including the guidelines for improving methodology of citizenship competences development.
Summary of project results
The research before the project shows that there is a lack of sufficient critical mass of citizens in Lithuania who actively participate in political and public life, they lack the awareness of civil society. Citizenship does not appear by itself, it is based on values, skill and knowledge which need to be learned. For achieving critically minded and socially active people's participation in society, important role is attributed to adult educators. Their own civic awareness and readiness to promote civil dialogue and debate is an important precondition for positive change in society. Therefore, there is a need to deepen adult education staff knowledge and skills related to citizenship and integration of development of citizenship competences (democratic, intercultural, critical thinking, creativity, etc.) into content and practices of adult education. Project is intended to respond to this need. It aims to improve competences of adult educators in the area of citizenship and civic consciousness what will create prerequisites and opportunities for development of adults‘ citizenship competences. Main results of project: study visit in Norway; 3 seminars in Lithuania; 5 adult educators-experts and 40 adult education professionals, who improved their qualification in the field of civic awareness, active citizenship, diversity, development of citizenship competences; methodology, describing concept of citizenship, methods for developing civic competences and presenting 2 practical manifestation of citizenship cases; conference, during which the lessons learned during the project will be reflected; and recommendations, including the guidelines for improving methodology of citizenship competences development. Project statistics: - 110 participants in project dissemination activities; - 53 adult education specialists participated in trainings; - 7 presentations by project experts/lecturers during project dissemination activities, trainings and conferences; - 12 presentations on civic awareness issues by participants from other public institutions during dissemination activities and open-discussion and conference; - 71 participant in open-discussion and conference sessions; - 1 study program and 1 methodological tool prepared.
Summary of bilateral results
Five project experts/lecturers participated in trainings by project partner The European Wergeland Centre in Oslo. The participants of the training studied the methods of civic engagement and civic awareness in adult education. On 6 May 2016 in Kaunas project partner experts/lecturers were engaged in an open discussion conference on “Adult Citizenship Competencies Development” in which the adult education practitioners and project experts / lecturers discussed the citizenship competencies development and civic awareness-raising as well as applied competences, knowledge and skills developed during project activities. During the conference written recommendations were produced.