Learning for Living Together Project

"The Learning for Living Together project was based on the objective of ERASMUS + Adult Education ""to develop innovative outputs and undertake intensive dissemination and exploitation of results in supporting, extending and developing educators' competencies"". The Project developed adult educators’ competences within both the community learning centres and further education institutions to deal with diversified groups of learners, and made use of new technologies and teaching outcomes.This project also sought to address the Erasmus+ horizontal principle ""Inclusive education, training and youth"" by providing a critical insight into promoting equality and inclusion, developing and upskilling tutors to address diversity and integration in (formal and non-formal) delivery to learners who are local, migrant, refugee and asylum seekers. This project also underpins the priority of the Paris Declaration, promoting inclusive education and training within local communities fostering a culture of respect and mutual understanding. The specific objectives of the project were met as follows: > Worked collaboratively with 6 transnational partner organizations based in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Latvia & Sweden who have particular expertise in delivery to adult education migrant/refugee/asylum seeker/ communities by developing, testing, adapting and supporting the embedding of innovative materials and practices; >Developed innovative materials for adult tutors/practitioners which were delivered to 23 adult tutors through a transnational training course based on Social Inclusion and Diversity. > Following this, the 23 tutors piloted the materials with over 100 adults learners during the life of the project, who gave on-going feedback on the benefits and the suitability of the teaching resources for the learner groups which enabled appropriate changes to be made. > Developed an online blended 18 hour social inclusion and diversity course which included a pedagogical handbook, student handbooks, assessment booklets and associated materials including film documentaries, podcasts and real life case studies (with refugees, economic migrants, asylum seekers) for adult learners and their tutors. This was accredited at level 2 by OCN (Open College Network) providing added value to the projects as accreditation was not one of the original objectives. > Built new networks of support for each partner organisation and their tutors by developing their outreach, capacity and skills base for future joint collaboration as well as internationalisation. > Shared results with wider networks within each partner country which increased their capacity to tackle racism within their own country through multiplier and dissemination events. The impact on the target groups included:Adult Learners - Increased knowledge of the needs of new migrants, refugees and asylum seekers - Development of new approaches to learning about integration of new communities - Increased capacity to challenge racism and prejudice - Increased sense of initiative and capacity to use learning at a local level - Increased level of digital competence - Increased levels of confidence, skills and cultural awareness Adult Education tutors: - Increased level of confidence and competence in their pedagogical approaches with adult learners - New networks of support developed with other staff in a European context for future joint working great insights into European Citizenship for their Learners and their roles in supporting local as well as diverse groups of learners to become European citizens - Increased bank of approaches, materials and case studies for use in the classroom/community - Increased knowledge of the needs of new migrants, refugees and asylum seekers - New approaches to learning about integration of new communities - Embedding and sharing of best practice in Adult education, training and lifelong learningIn addition, the project also had an impact on the Partners who benefited from: - Increased in knowledge and awareness of other European culture and traditions- Increased knowledge and working with organisations in different languages- Managing the intricacies of a multi-lingual working environment-Increased knowledge and understanding of adult learning practices in different EU countries- The introduction of new concepts for example the term ‘resilience’ - which was found by partners to be uncommon outside of the UK and Ireland.-Developed expertise in the multi-agency working for example College's working with social economies and government agencies.This partnership believe that the work carried over the last two years will in the long term, continue to address issues of marginalisation, intolerance and racism within a framework of equal opportunities and structured training and innovative resources which are freely available through the project website and will continue to be promoted and used by the partners & networks"