All activities have concentrated on
a) establishing a transnational educational network for later life learning, and
b) broadening /expanding already existing regional education networks through education for older people.
It is of concern to all transnational partner organisations to involve the endusers, older women and men of a particular region in different ways in the EU project LISA – Learning in Senior Age. To this purpose participants in education programmes were investigated.
Austria
This kind of cooperation was first established in Austria. Until then, networking was not considered important. Therefore, it was a real challenge to establish a regional education network for seniors. At first the public was rather sceptical. However, after some months scepticism turned into real interest and even into competition. At the same time an institution for adult education in Styria supported by the Austrian Ministry of Education was closed down. So a member of the Styrian government was informed about the network and benefits of LISA. Subsequently a new network for adult education was established. GEFAS Steiermark is a member of this network and represents the issue of education in the post professional phase.
Initiatives to find out about the demands of older people, why older people utilise or reject certain offers were of special importance. Furthermore, it was of particular interest to find out how older people want to be involved in planning and carrying out these offers. The fact that Dr Rosemarie Kurz leads the project is of special advantage for GEFAS Steiermark because Dr Kurz herself is one of these end-users. She entered university in her post-professional phase, graduated and has been involved in adult education, especially in education for older people, for thirty years. Thus, she set an example for what older people could achieve. That is why courses for seniors are held by senior lecturers. The participatory element, LLL – Life Long Learning in order to provide a fulfilled life is carried out exemplary.
Germany
The project partner from Hamburg, the Hamburger Volkshochschule managed to expand its already existing network for adult education during LISA by involving politicians and the administrative authorities and by adding the topic of learning in old age to their educational programme. The demographic development in Germany shows a remarkable increase in the number of older migrants. The German government expects about 1.3 million migrants who will be older than 60 in 2010. That is why LLL should be extended to this new target group, too.
Italy
The LISA project activities in Valdera have focused mainly on the following aspects:
• Integrating in a network a number of public and private subjects, involved and/or interested to the topic of Learning In Senior Age, and promoting co-operation among them and joint development of initiatives in this field;
• Bringing in the transnational LISA Consortium a different perspective, tightly related to Research and Innovation in Biomedical/Rehabilitation Engineering and in Gerontechnologies, for the improvement of the Quality of Life of senior citizens, and in particular for a higher autonomy all over the lifespam;
• Contributing to establish a link between the seniors and current technological changes, by:
o Disseminating theoretical and practical knowledge about ICTs, and the way they modify the society in all its aspects;
o Involving seniors in research activities on Gerontechnologies;
Portugal
In the region of the Portuguese Partner LLL will have to get a foothold. Through the project LISA LLL could be strengthened in this region and our partner had the possibility to integrate various organisations who work in the fields of health care, social welfare and care of the elderly people within a local working group.
United Kingdom
The project LISA aimed to raise awareness of educational needs of older people and develop a network of providers across the region. Therefore we chose a questionnaire to develop a debate around the issues raised.