Learning partnerships are process-oriented. They most often involve partners from various backgrounds. An important lesson learnt from many previous projects is that it is difficult to achieve a common result as concepts, methods and project ideas have to adapted to often very different local contexts.
This project therefore focussed on the exchange, feedback and transfer of concepts and methods between the partner organissations. Each organisation presented relevant approaches to the others which gave feedback and assessed possibilities for adapting them to their context. Some generic concepts, methods and conclusions were derived out of this process.
The partners also implemented local and bilateral projects. This included studies on possible approaches for promoting participation in urban and rural contexts and a framework for the conception and evaluation of learning processes focussing on participation competences.
Exchange of methods for participation training and citizenship education
Each partner selected relevant methods which were presented to the partnership during project meetings and study visits. The partners commented on possibilities of adaptation to their contexts.
The partners discussed the concept of impact orientation and studied if tools like LogFrame can be adapted for the field of civic education. The tool was applied on the assessment of effects of workcamps and the internal evaluation of the LP.
Partner evaluation: Intercultural Workcamps as a tool for civic education
Citizens in Action organized study visits in Pentalofos Greece. ECHA Austria conducted interviews to evaluate workcamps as a tool for training of civic competences addressing local communities and international volunteers at the same time. This evaluation carried out in cooperation with the University of Salzburg also served to test the logframe-tool for the evaluation of educational projects.
Training course: Value and Knowledge Education
For the 1rst partner meeting, ECHA Austria developped a training programme with an adaptation of the VaKE method to nonformal contexts including a module on dilemma story writing.
Training course: Organizing the Informal?
Intercultura on demand of the partners provided a training course on methods of informal learning during the project meeting in Dinan which was very much appreciated by the partners. This course could be offered in similar form to other multipliers.
Strategy and local project: coaching of local participation processes in disadvantaged contexts
Zeitpfeil e.V. by means of the Grundtvig grant was able to elaborate a strategy of coaching of participation processes as punctual training measures are not appropriate for disadvantaged target groups. A local program could be initiated on this base.
Field study: How young adults perform identities in complex urban settings (PDF, 18MB)
ECHA Austria and Zeitpfeil e.V. in cooperation with the University of Salzburg conducted a study on the question of identity of young adults in disadvantaged neighborhoods. The results were presented during the ECER conference on Urban Education in Berlin in September 2011.
Field study: Participation in Rural Areas in Brandenburg
Zeitpfeil conducted interviews in villages from different regions in Brandenburg in order to assesns obstacles and potencials for civic participation in rural areas. The main finding is that these vary due to the historic background of each village.
Educational tools: Games for informal learning
In the framework of the partnership, Intercultura designed prototype educational tools that can be used during informal time. This materials are now used in the "Maison du Monde" that Intercultura established in Dinan to inform the local population and especially young adults about the European Union and the possibilities of European mobility programmes.
University seminar on nonformal learning
Inspired by the LP, Sieglinde Weyringer offered an academic course in the educational department of the Univ. of Salzburg on nonformal learning. Students´ projects evaluated data collected from local projects of the partners.