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Description
The project will be realized on our home turf, in municipalities around Warsaw, as well as in Łódź, where we will collaborate with our partner, the LEVEL UP Association. LEVEL UP will support us with staff and experience. According to our research, the youth from the areas of our operations do not feel any sense of influence over the subjects and the format of their education. Interviewed individuals pointed to a lack of activities they could be actively involved in. Simultaneously, according to the data from the Eurostat, seniors are less socially active that average citizens. Other data from Eurostat points to a high number of suicides among seniors in Poland. Meanwhile, Scandinavian countries where the elderly remain more active show a significantly lower numbers of suicides among the seniors. We are responding to these issues by organizing a series of inter-generational workshops. During the course of our workshops seniors will exchange knowledge and experiences with the youth on anything from health, saving money, technologies, and climate preservation. We will organize a working visit with our partner in Norway – Folkeakademiet Rogaland – during which we will learn the teaching methods of their People’s School. We will learn about the practices of the institution designed to develop a sense of sagency in its students, building an inter-generational dialogue, and teaching active involvement in civic issues. We would like to introduce this method to selected schools in our area of operations, organize workshops for the youth and support them in conducting their own research projects. On the basis of their research, we will create local initiatives related to civic engagement and environmental protections. We will conclude the project by preparing materials highlighting the best practices for youth engagement and inter-generational activities.
Summary of project results
We implemented the project in selected municipalities around Warsaw, where we operate, and in Łódź, where we collaborated with the LEVEL UP Association, which supported us with their team and experience. According to our conducted research, the youth in the regions we targeted overwhelmingly believe that they have no influence over the subjects and form of education they receive. The surveyed individuals pointed out the lack of practical activities in which they could actively engage. At the same time, according to Eurostat data, seniors in Poland are significantly less socially active than the average citizens. Disturbingly, other Eurostat data indicated a high number of suicides in this age group in Poland, while in Scandinavian countries, where older people are engaged in volunteer and educational activities, suicides are less prevalent.We responded to the above-mentioned issues by conducting a series of intergenerational workshops. During these workshops, older individuals and the youth exchanged knowledge and experiences related to health, money saving, technologies, and climate care. We organized a study visit to our foreign partner - Folkeakademiet Rogaland in Norway, during which we learned about the teaching methods of the folk high school. We familiarized ourselves with the practices of this institution, which provide a sense of agency to learners, foster intergenerational dialogue, and teach active engagement in civic matters. We introduced this method to selected schools in our vicinity, organized workshops for the youth, and supported them in conducting their research projects. Based on these projects, local initiatives related to civic activity or environmental protection were created. The culmination of the project was preparing materials on the best practices of youth engagement and intergenerational activities.Thanks to the project, we were able to activate the youth and seniors in civic activities and environmental protection. Equally importantly, we integrated both age groups, showing them that they have much to learn from each other.
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Summary of bilateral results
The Climate Experimentarium project has benefited greatly from the collaboration with its partner FolkAkademiet, represented by Rolf Krisstofersen. Despite initial challenges in finding a suitable partner from the donor countries, the collaboration has developed, starting with consultations for the study tour. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced some limitations, but it was nevertheless possible to organise a fruitful study visit to Norway in August 2021. The participation of a FolkAkademiet representative in every meeting during the visit allowed for an in-depth understanding of the Folk School methodology and its impact on education.A number of activities were implemented as part of the project, including a study visit, intergenerational workshops and dissemination of information about the project. The visit to Norway enabled face-to-face meetings with folk school principals, teachers and alumni, resulting in the creation of valuable educational materials, including a film and publication on folk school. The collaboration with FolkAkademiet contributed to increased knowledge and understanding of the folk school education model, which was one of the key objectives of the project.The partnership with FolkAkademiet has had a significant impact on the Climate Experimentarium project, contributing to the creation of joint results and dissemination of knowledge. The interviews conducted in Norway provided a deeper understanding of the local perception of folk school ideas, which was a valuable contribution to the project.In the context of the future, bilateral cooperation is planned to continue. The experience and knowledge gained from the Climate Experimentation project provides a strong basis for further activities and the development of international cooperation. The continuation of this cooperation will focus on further enhancing knowledge and exchanging experiences, which will contribute to the development of both organisations and their communities.