Winter 2015 Dear readers, please find attached the Winter edition of the online bulletin edited by the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE), available also at http://www.acs.si/bulletin_e-novicke. The content briefly presented here is a result of our creative energy and momentum. We wish you pleasant reading, Simona Kavčič, acting editor, and Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik, MSc, editor-in-chief. NEW YEAR GREETINGS ............................................................................................................................3 SIAE PROJECTS AND EVENTS .................................................................................................................3 Annual Adult Education Conference 2015 – slightly different ........................................................................3 Eleventh Slovenian Guidance Centre Days a success in 2015 .........................................................................4 LLW project facing new challenges .................................................................................................................5 Booklet Professional training of adult educators at the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education.....................6 Expert External Evaluations in Adult Education ..............................................................................................6 The SIAE and partners become one generation at the 15th Festival of the Third Age .....................................7 KAM PO ZNANJE website: a new design and an EPALE corner ...................................................................8 An exercise in literacy ......................................................................................................................................9 INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION .......................................................................................................10 Conference Building Bridges in Adult Education ..........................................................................................10 Meeting of the international project group of partners in Erasmus+ GOAL ..................................................11 Validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning in Portugal ................................................12 Visit of two delegations from Bosnia and Herzegovina .................................................................................12 European Commission accompanies us into third phase of EAAL ................................................................13 20 years of Switzerland's adult learning festival.............................................................................................14 The EAAL project enters its third phase.........................................................................................................15 Two meetings of the group on European indicators in education ...................................................................16 Education and Training Monitor 2015 ............................................................................................................18 Adoption of the Education 2030 Framework for Action ................................................................................18 RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS ...................................................................................................................18 Reader's companion to the PIAAC survey......................................................................................................18 Know Your Lifestyle: a manual for teachers and mentors in Slovenian ........................................................19 European Lifelong Learning Magazine – the new online magazine has arrived ............................................20 The KEY to Integration in Slovenian Society: a handbook for providers of the ZIP integration programme21 SLOVENIAN ADULT EDUCATION SCENE ..........................................................................................21 Intergenerational Learning Centre at the Novo mesto Development and RIC Novo mesto ...........................21 Simbioza continues with fresh wind beneath its wings ..................................................................................22 e-Roma Resource – new platform for successful Roma integration ...............................................................23 Final steps of the two-year H-CoDe project at Maribor Adult Education Centre...........................................24 Joy, a short film by the Slovenian Third Age University at the Silver Screen Film Festival in Frankfurt .....25 Getting new skills for the library ....................................................................................................................26 FINALLY – Financial literacy for a better quality of life ..............................................................................26 University of the Third Age Kočevje: Something for everybody ...................................................................27 PUM Centre Slovenj Gradec takes part in the international project "Know Your Lifestyle".........................28 Inclusion of immigrants as an opportunity for community learning...............................................................28 Project SORO to a new programme for professionals ....................................................................................29 A promotional film on guidance for adults successfully concludes the project..............................................30 The Knowledge Exchange ..............................................................................................................................31 RIC Novo mesto implemented a series of educational workshops in primary schools ..................................31 Abbreviations CMEPIUS: The Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes EAAL: European Agenda for Adult Learning EPALE: ePlatform for Adult Learning in Europe GOAL: Guidance and Orientation for Adult Learners LLW: Lifelong Learning Week LP: Learning Parade OQEA: Offering Quality Education to Adults PIAAC: Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competences RIC Novo mesto: The Novo mesto Development and Education Centre SHAPE: Shared expertise in provision of adult education in five European countries SIAE: Slovenian Institute for Adult Education Annual Adult Education Conference 2015 – slightly different “Our conference has become an event that you simply can’t miss,” freely opined one of this year’s 273 participants at the traditional meeting of leaders in the policy, profession and practice of adult education in Slovenia. For all of us who help put this event together, there is probably no better recognition. But this did not come about by itself. A lot of effort would be needed to count up which consultation it was that brought us together once again on 25 November at the Smelt Conference Centre. We know for sure that staff of the SIAE coordinated the consultation for the sixth year running, after the client, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport entrusted the task to the School for Principals, the Folk High School Association (ZLUS) and possibly others too. One of the advantages of continuity is most certainly the wealth of experience, for which reason the organisational work becomes to some extent a familiar routine. An advantage of this relative familiarity is that it unleashes potentials and becomes a springboard for developmental efforts and the fulfilment of that “something in between”, which goes beyond the mundane list of tasks necessary to organise this kind of event. It also brings us together (physically, virtually, professionally, emotionally and so on) and strengthens the feeling that we are a community that loves to meet up again each year. Even if we come with questions that are not all answered at the end – because there is no answer. And this is yet another reason for us to converse more extensively and more often, and to come together for a chance to exchange ideas rather than find answers! If you were perhaps expecting a summary of this year’s events, given the heading of the article, please go to the conference website and browse through the latest issue of Highlights from the Annual Consultation (in Slovenian). We have also posted online PowerPoint presentations, videos and photographs. Meanwhile this article seeks to promote two things. I believe that staff at the Ministry of Education and the SIAE should set the date for the 2016 conference at the beginning of the year, and then all of us together take that into account in coordinating other events, so they do not overlap. Also, in designing the programme we should allow sufficient time for interaction and discussion – even if this would mean covering less content in the future or going from a one-day conference back to a two-day event. This year’s content was oriented to the future. We will hear more about it, and together put some into action, which will serve to keep us connected up until the next conference. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE Eleventh Slovenian Guidance Centre Days a success in 2015 The 11th Slovenian Guidance Centre Days took place from 23 to 25 September 2015. All the guidance centres – ISIO centres – promoted learning and education through various events and activities. The events were linked both through the promotion of opportunities to enrol in formal and non-formal adult education programmes and through various forms of non-formal learning and education. A total of 86 different events took place over three days, and it should be noted that some took place before the official date, and some after the official closing. This year we were able to benefit from the free cooperation of various shopping centres (Spar, Qlandia, City Center, BTC Murska Sobota, Velenjka), so the majority of the guidance centres were hosted at those venues together with the partners. The stands were augmented by other types of events: free workshops and courses, contact broadcasts on local radio stations, open door days at guidance centres and so on. We were able to continuously follow the centre events on social networks and in the media. You can watch the video by clicking here. In the joint newspaper Info-ISIO 2015–2016 (in Slovenian), in addition to new developments in formal and non-formal adult education, we presented the possibilities for guidance support and assistance for adults before and during education courses, in recognising and validating previously acquired knowledge and the possibilities of cofinancing education. This year, too, there was no lack of adult learner stories. The centres report very good responses and participation levels. Such joint events serve to raise the profile of ISIO centres in local environments and the possibilities they offer adults, while at the same time they promote the possibilities of education and learning aimed at various adult groups. Meanwhile we most certainly prompted adults to consider the possibilities of education and learning and the benefits from this they can enjoy individually. Andreja Dobrovoljc MA (andreja.dobrovoljc@acs.si), SIAE LLW project facing new challenges Over the past three years we have enhanced the Lifelong Learning Week (LLW) at a total of 21 venues with Learning Parades – Learning Community Days (LP). This approach has evolved from year to year and has enjoyed affirmation at the local, national and international levels. This year cofinancing under the EAAL Implementation project ran out, for we will embark on other projects that are nevertheless still associated with LLW. We are now defining the future of LP organisation and cofinancing together with those that have headed it up to date and the Education Ministry. At this moment we can confide that from now on the LP will be held at various venues around Slovenia on the same day, with the first one on Wednesday, 18 May 2016. Those in charge of the LP will obtain funds through public calls, and the condition for this will be participation at a meeting for LLW development. In 2016 LLW will also tackle other challenges. This year it will coincide fully with the Week of Amateur Arts (WAA). We are in talks with the Public Fund for the Arts (JSKD) on cooperation and mutual promotion, which will be implemented in various ways. We already have some ideas, and will be able to form others together at the previously mentioned meeting. The new phase of the EAAL 2015–2017 project requires that we expand the LLW National Committee to include representatives from as many departments and other stakeholders on the national level. We believe that in this way we will enhance the content of the project. The adult education colloquium, the 20th in succession, will be exceptionally held later on next year, in September. It will address the issue of adult competences, and this will be presented in all its dimensions on June 28, when the results of the PIAAC survey are published. Those in charge of policy in the profession and practices will discuss it at our main professional meeting as part of LLW. We can also announce one more new development: before the end of the year we fulfilled our long-time wish and established, or rather revived, the Learners Forum. Many recipients of SIAE awards and other fascinating individuals have responded to our invitation to participate, so we believe that by pooling our strengths in various fields we can ensure that their voice is heard. The next year certainly promises to be an interesting one for the LLW project. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE Booklet Professional training of adult educators at the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education In the context of the international project Shared expertise in provision of adult education in five European countries (SHAPE), this autumn we printed the informational and promotional booklet Professional training of adult educators at the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education. The booklet presents two basic chapters: . Professional training of adult educators at the SIAE: we pre­sented the purpose of this activity, the types of training we provide at the SIAE, a web-based catalogue of basic and fur­ther training programmes for adult education educators, the possibility of recognition of prior learning, and a bookshelf with specialized literature to support basic and further training of adult educators. . Competence scheme of the professional training of adult educators: we present what the competence scheme is and what it consists of, how adult education processes are defined in a competence scheme and how competencies are defined in a competence scheme. We also present eight roles of adult edu­cators in Slovenia for which we have prepared the descriptions of their activities and tasks, and defined competencies they need for quality performance of their roles. The promotional booklet is available in 2 versions – in Slovenian and English. Jasmina Orešnik Cunja (jasmina.oresnik.cunja@acs.si), SIAE Expert External Evaluations in Adult Education In September, as a part of the Introduction of Expert External Evaluation in Support of Development of the Quality of Adult Education, we have carried out training for expert external evaluators, who then in October carried out expert external evaluations at those educational organizations, which responded to this year's call for applications. The training covered novelties in the field of quality in adult education with an emphasis on the new field of Development orientation of adult education organisations with corresponding standards and criteria. We have also learnt the use the new e-application tool for evaluating the organization's self-evaluation reports and have prepared for the visits to organisations (by reviewing the new criteria and indicators). The expert external evaluators visited the following educational organizations: . Center za izobraževanje in kulturo Trebnje, . INVEL Inkubator za razvoj podjetništva, d.o.o., . Ljudska univerza zavod za kulturo in izobraževanje Slovenska Bistrica. The purpose of visits was to confirm correct understanding of the self-assessments of internal quality systems, support for participants and/or development orientation prepared by the organisations. In discussions with employees, external staff and participants, the expert external evaluators obtained additional explanations and information with the help of which they were able to clarify the dilemmas and justifications included by the educational organisations in their self-assessments. The visits lasted a full day and were an important part of objective external quality assessment. In November the evaluators prepared the final report on the expert external evaluation for each individual educational organization and in December met again with all the representatives of the organisations at an evaluation workshop. Aleksandra Radojc (aleksandra.radojc@acs.si), SIAE The SIAE and partners become one generation at the 15th Festival of the Third Age "We are all one generation!" This was the slogan of this year's 15th edition of the Festival of the Third Age, which took place in Cankarjev Dom from 29 September to 1 October. For the fourth consecutive year, the SIAE and its partners used this important event to present projects and products relating to active ageing and intergenerational cooperation. Our exhibition area offered a wide range of activities and attracted numerous visitors of all generations. Those passing by our stands were able to see presentations by individuals who are actively learning and have something to show. Visitors could learn a few new English words, discover how a family tree is made, learn how to bake Bela Krajina flatbread, create a lifelong bunch of flowers, learn about the multimedia centre for the elderly, try their hand at weaving on miniature looms, practise their origami skills, strengthen their mental agility with word games, and much more besides. At one stand we showed video presentations of the winners of the SIAE Awards for the promotion of adult learning and knowledge. Four SIAE Award winners (Marija Metlika, Viktorija Dabič of Zreli Vedež Ptuj, Dušica Kunaver, Lilijana Pahor) did an excellent job of mingling with visitors both young and old in the role of learners with their own stories of lifelong learning, since they are well aware of the importance of lifelong learning and are constantly learning themselves, going beyond what is apparently possible and acting as an inspiration to others. We hope and believe that through our conversations with visitors and our presentations of examples of good practice, we have encouraged many of them to take up some kind of learning. We were particularly happy to collect around 100 statements from visitors about things they would still like to learn. We are satisfied to see that many people were interested in knowing where they could study and learn. We directed many of our older visitors to guidance centres, adult education centres, universities of the third age, pensioners' clubs and libraries, and introduced them to the online Overview of Adult Education Opportunities, education opportunities offered by the SIAE and other SIAE projects. We also used the Festival to present a part of the LLW exhibition (in Slovenian), entitled Festival of Learning. The festival once again attracted a little over 15,000 visitors from all over Slovenia and from abroad. Given our positive experiences of taking part in this event over the last four years, we expect to be contributing once again, with our combined forces, to the success of the festival next year. We have published a gallery of photographs from our exhibition area on the SIAE Facebook page. Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si), SIAE KAM PO ZNANJE website: a new design and an EPALE corner The KAM PO ZNANJE [Where to for knowledge] website – our online round-up of adult education opportunities, which for several years now has been an effective source of information about formal and non- formal education and adult learning opportunities for the general and specialised public – was given a redesign during the summer. As well as a new look, the website now offers additional content and information on adult education and lifelong learning. Alongside the regular sections – a search page for information on adult education providers and their education programmes, information for education providers, other useful information, interesting links, annual reports – the website now includes some new features. One of these is the EPALE corner, aimed at adult educators, where we present the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe. We regularly highlight interesting programmes for adult educators from among the extensive range of education programmes published on the Kam po znanje website. Adult educators will find education programmes designed for their own professional training needs. The section Adult education in numbers offers key indicators on adult education opportunities and indicators by region. The For the media section will regularly publish interesting information and news on national and European statistical data and indicators for some key areas of adult education and lifelong learning, and other interesting news from the adult education field. Erika Brenk (erika.brenk@acs.si), SIAE An exercise in literacy On International Literacy Day (8 September) the SIAE took part in the online debate How Can We Improve Adult Literacy? organised by the European Basic Skills Network (EBSN). The exchange of views took place via the Electronic Platform for Adult Education in Europe (EPALE) and included 20 participants from the SIAE, the National Support Service for EPALE at CMEPIUS, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the adult education network. We were joined by an international guest, Bryan Maddox, an internationally renowned researcher of the ethnographic aspects of literacy. At first we were surprised that interaction on the website was in written form, since we were expecting an audiovisual experience and imagined that to begin with we would merely be following the event and then perhaps contributing by asking questions or expressing views. Instead, we were "thrown in at the deep end", but we quickly adapted and began contributing our views on the definition of literacy and the importance of constant research in this field. Our initial disappointment was transformed into enthusiasm at the fact that we were so quickly able to begin contributing to an international exchange of views, to be an equal partner in the company of bigger nations, and receive an acknowledgement from the organisers on Facebook. For us too, this was an exercise in literacy – communicating in English, using a live chat tool in the context of EPALE, posting on Twitter and Facebook. We also learnt a lot about literacy from our two experts Estera Možina MA and Dr Petra Javrh. The event was followed on an individual basis by Dr Dušana Findeisen from the Slovenian Third Age University, who offered her comments. And what did we learn? As regards online events of this type, we will propose to the EPALE creators at the European Commission a more structured and focused approach, since on this occasion we were following an event that was taking place in a relatively unconnected and random manner. On the other hand, we agreed that this is exactly what our lives are like – slightly chaotic, full of different challenges requiring rapid responses, without time to actually internalise things. Modern media – e-platforms, Facebook, Twitter and so on – merely support or help create this new culture (?). We all agreed that this type of interaction is a good substitute for expensive and limited participation in international conferences, but that such events require good advance preparation on the part of both organisers and participants. The format is also suitable for working "at home", as a kind of virtual study circle in which an exchange of views and reciprocal learning take place at the same time but in different places, and leave lasting traces. Next year is the 50th anniversary of International Literacy Day and we can already promise that we will dedicate even more attention to it – in part with the help of our partners at the local level. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE Conference Building Bridges in Adult Education The national partners in adult education – the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE), Adult Education Society of Slovenia (ADS), the Centre for Mobility and European Educational and Training Programmes (CMEPIUS), which is the National Support Service for EPALE, the Association of Organisations for Adult Education at Secondary Schools (DOIO) and the Association of Educational Institutions (ZII) – held an international conference on 7 and 8 December in the Austria Trend Hotel in Ljubljana entitled Building Bridges in Adult Education. The conference was intended to review the current situation in adult education in the area of the former Yugoslavia and to exchange experiences and study the possibilities for linking and cooperation. The event brought together 36 adult education stakeholders from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Macedonia, Kosovo and Serbia. They were joined by local Slovenian experts and those in charge of adult education policy, and in all there were 95 of us participating at the two-day conference. The first day was devoted to reviewing the current situation. Each country prepared a presentation according to a previously determined structure. First we presented the adult education system together with activities in the area of formal, non-formal and informal learning, a review of the main stakeholders from decision-makers to experts, practitioners and the civil society, and a definition of the primary target groups. We also highlighted key challenges in the field and good practices. The second day had a practical orientation. We held three parallel workshops with the following topics: non-formal and informal learning and validation, including vulnerable target groups and the power and responsibility of the state and civil society. We held each workshop three times, so all the participants, divided into three groups, could attend all workshops. On the second day there was an internal meeting of the national coordinators for implementation of the European Agenda for Adult Learning and representatives of the EPALE NSS. We are delighted that the partners responded to the invitation and that we could ensure the presence of every single country. Their participation, the verbally expressed opinions and the praise we received by e-mail were sufficient confirmation that the Slovenian initiative was well-placed and that the conference would become traditional. The next one, in a similar formulation, is set to take place in 2016 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The conference was cofinanced by the Slovenian Ministry of Education and the European Commission Erasmus+ programme. We should also express thanks to all those that in addition to the above partners “loaned” their experts, who took on some serious duties at the conference. These are: The Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana, Education and Adult Education Department, the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Slovenian University of the Third Age and ZIK Črnomelj. Thanks go to all of them. For more information about the conference, visit the conference website (in Slovenian). Darijan Novak (darijan.novak@acs.si), SIAE Meeting of the international project group of partners in Erasmus+ GOAL From 11 to 13 November 2015 the second meeting of the international project group of all partners in the Erasmus+ GOAL project (Guidance and Orientation for Adult Learners 2015–2018) was held in Ljubljana. The substance of the meeting was aimed at reviewing work done by individual country, reviewing development work on drawing up models for implementing guidance activities for vulnerable adult groups in all partner countries and at discussing evaluation of the project in terms of measuring the results and effects of guidance and orientation. We took advantage of the meeting in Ljubljana to present the guidance and orientation activities of our adult education part­ners, the Slovenian providers in the project. On the first day of the meeting we visited the Ljubljana Biotechnical Education Centre, where we were given a presentation by the two partners in the Central Slovenia region, BIC Ljubljana and the Ljubljana Guidance Centre (Svetovalno središče Ljubljana). On the second day of the meeting we travelled to Velenje, where the Savinja region partners were presented: Velenje School Centre and Ve­ lenje Guidance Centre. On the third day the meeting was con­cluded in the premises of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport with the planning of activities for the next 6 months. You can find out more about the progress of this project on the website. Andreja Dobrovoljc MA (andreja.dobrovoljc@acs.si), SIAE Validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning in Portugal From 27 September 2015 to 3 October 2015 I took part in a study visit to Portugal as part of an Erasmus+ scholarship for the action to promote human resources mobility for adult education, facilitated by CMEPIUS, the Centre of the Republic of Slovenia for Mobility and European Education and Training Programmes. The aim of the visit to Portugal was to find out about the process of validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning in that country, what elements it has and what we can learn from Portugal. Meanwhile, I passed on to my Portuguese colleagues information on the validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning in Slovenia. Portugal has had good practices in validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning, especially up until 2011, when there was a change of government and there were around 450 “new opportunity centres”, which facilitated validation particularly in the area of general adult education. After that year the centres were transformed into CQEPs (Centro para a Qualificaoao e o Ensino Profissional), i.e. centres for qualifications and vocational education. The number of centres was reduced to a little over 200, but lesser importance started to be ascribed to general adult education, while moves were made to strengthen guidance in the validation process, which had previously been less developed. The process of validation and recognition of non-formal and informal learning in Portugal is based on national education and training standards, which are part of the national catalogue of qualifications on the primary and secondary levels and in professional fields, and equate to levels 1 to 4 of the national qualifications framework, which in turn is linked to the European qualifications framework. The new left-wing government elected in November 2015 promises to strengthen adult education in Portugal, and we may hope that this was not merely a pre-election promise and that this objective will be fulfilled. Dr Natalija Vrečer (natalija.vrecer@acs.si), SIAE Visit of two delegations from Bosnia and Herzegovina On the morning of Wednesday, 17 June 2015, the SIAE was visited by a delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina's Agency for Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary Education. The four-member delegation was interested in our experiences with literacy, promotion and the European Platform for Adult Learning in Europe (EPALE), and in opportunities for cooperation in the future. Taking part in the talks with the delegation were Estera Možina and Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik of the SIAE and Ajda Turk of CMEPIUS. On the previous day, the guests from Bosnia and Herzegovina also attended the 19th Adult Education Colloquium in Kranjska Gora. emphasis on the presentation of non-formal programmes, since in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as in Slovenia and indeed all over the world, adult education is mainly understood in the sense of formal and vocational education. During the four-day visit we introduced our guests to SIAE units and projects and to some of our partners active in the adult education field, among them Marina Hrs and Ksenija Orel from the Izola Public Library, Matej Cepin of Socialna Akademija and Marija Imperl of KTRC Radeče. We listened to presentations from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs and the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Arts, and visited the Institute for Vocational Education and Training (CPI) We also visited other adult education providers, as a way of showing our guests the full diversity of educational organisations in Slovenia. The examples we chose were CDI Univerzum Ljubljana, School Center for Postal services, Economics and Telecommunications, and Glotta Nova. On the last day of the visit we were in Črnomelj, where the staff of the education and cultural institute ZIK Črnomelj looked after us very well providing a full-day programme. We are very grateful to everyone who is willing to receive us or visit us on such occasions and share their experiences with us, especially when they also offer us a cup of coffee and a slice of cake! This full programme – which means that our colleagues will not so easily shake off the stereotype of industrious Slovenians – will, we believe, contribute to the planning of a system and projects and to the development of partnerships for cooperation in the future. Darijan Novak (darijan.novak@acs.si), SIAE European Commission accompanies us into third phase of EAAL We have already reported (in the E-bulletin LP 2015 and EPALE) that 1 November marks the start of the third phase of EAAL implementation. To this end the European Commission and the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) invited national coordinators (NC) that registered new projects to a 'kick-off' meeting on 12 and 13 November, so we could have a look at the results of the latest one-year phase and agree on action and cooperation for the future. We found this out from the Commission: . In the new Joint Report adult education has its own place with four priori­ties: governance, supply and take-up, flexibility and accessibility and qual­ ity. Improving all four areas should also be reflected in the EAAL project. The main topic of the newly appointed expert working group will be ‘education in the workplace’. . Martina N. Cheallaigh, who heads our work, reported on the substantive highlights of our applications, while Hplqne Barry along with EACEA colleagues presented the administrative and financial aspects. . Gpraldine Libreau presented the development of EPALE and announced that in future the NCs would have our own closed group on this platform. Then we had a turn to speak, and the NCs from the UK, France and Slovenia were invited to share our good practices with participants. Joyce Black spoke about how they measure the impact of adult education; Berenice Cappe talked about setting up and maintaining a permanent coordination body for EAAL, and I presented our information flows, since on the European level our website has earned continuous accolades. I pointed out: ‘Personal contacts and the involvement of all stakeholders in "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches are vital for information flow.’ We discussed these three topics in working groups, since they are of vital importance in the new project period. On the second day we were invited to cooperate with three large associations – EAEA, EBSN and Public Libraries 2020 – as there should be the highest possible collaboration with non-governmental organisations on the national and European levels. Graciela Sbertoli, secretary of the EBSN, concluded her presentation with an invitation to the general assembly and conference we are holding from 1 to 3 June 2016 in Ljubljana through our pooled resources. Each country also reported on current developments concerning adult education policy and on the latest hot topic: the response of (adult) education to the refugee crisis. There are therefore always a lot of challenges, and we will be better able to meet them if we stay connected. In my conclusion I therefore announced the meeting of NCs of the countries of former Yugoslavia at the conference Building Bridges in Adult Education. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE 20 years of Switzerland's adult learning festival The Swiss Federation for Adult Learning (SVEB) joined the learning festivals movement the same year the SIAE joined it with LLW: in the European Year of Lifelong Learning 1996. This year's twelfth edition of the SVEB's Lernfestival was an opportunity to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of commitment to the idea of attracting as many people as possible to education and learning through a variety of educational and guidance/informative events and the awarding of prizes to the most successful participants. At the same time Ruth Jermann, the founder and national coordinator of the Swiss Festival, has reached the end of her mission this year and passed the baton on to two younger colleagues, Simona de David and Bernhard Grämiger. The SVEB held the jubilee inauguration ceremony and, the following day, an international symposium on lifelong learning in Lucerne on 16 and 17 September. Three Prix Alice prizes were awarded to model learners and a 24-hour festival featuring around 600 events in 20 venues across Switzerland took place on 18 and 19 September, beginning at 5.00 p.m. on the first day and ending at 5.00 p.m. on the second. The slogan of the festival was "Learning with head, heart, hands and feet." To mark the occasion a publication was prepared covering the 20 years of the learning festival (20 Jahre Lernfestival). The partnership between Slovenia and Switzerland in the field of raising awareness about and promoting adult education has also been running for 20 years. We have collaborated directly on the projects Widening and strengthening the European dimensions of the Lifelong Learning Week movement and International Week of Adult Learners in Europe, while at the same time over the course of these years we have both played an active part in shaping the international learning festivals movement, visiting each other periodically and exchanging ideas and experiences in many other ways. Under the influence of these exchanges, our Swiss counterparts have begun devoting more attention to the regional and local levels. They have also established a network of coordinators and started awarding prizes – although for the time being these are only for achievements in formal education. For our part, we have been impressed by their innovative marketing approaches and, above all, by the enormous energy and goodwill which Ruth has invested over all these years and which she has shared with us. Before celebrating their (and her) achievements with our presence in Lucerne, we had the pleasure of seeing Ruth at this year's LLW inauguration in Črnomelj. Although she was already familiar with our festival, she expressed her surprise and enthusiasm at the way it has developed with the Learning Parade – Learning Community Days. "This aspect of the festival is something difficult to develop in Switzerland because our coordinators are above all interested in promoting their own activities and do not yet see opportunities to assume a leading role in the development of the community," she commented. Perhaps they will surprise her in the future. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE The EAAL project enters its third phase Implementation of the European Agenda for Adult Learning (EAAL) has been under way in Member States for three years now. Since the publication of this European strategy for adult education in 2011, the competent ministries have appointed national coordinators. The latter applied for a range of two-year projects in spring 2012, followed by one-year projects in May 2014, which ended on 30 October this year. Last year Slovenia held the third edition of the Learning Parade – Learning Community Days (LP) in seven new venues, while eight locations saw the event repeated by the coordinators of previous editions. The event, which represents a way of building on the success of Lifelong Learning Week, has had an excellent reception in local environments, with the result that discussions are now ongoing between the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and LP coordinators about the event's future and possible co-funding. This year's EAAL project also saw a series of 21 specialised events designed to promote and develop adult basic skills. Meetings of various stakeholders and parallel practical training sessions took place in May and June at the local level. They were presented as a whole in the course of a panel discussion at the Adult Education Colloquium, which took place on 16 June in Kranjska Gora, and in the video "I can, therefore I am!" – Promoting Adult Basic Skills, which received its premiere showing at the Annual Adult Education Conference on 25 November. We described the EAAL project 2014–2015 in words and images in the Learning Parade 2015 e-Bulletin and summarised it in the EPALE blog. The blog already contains entries on the plans that we will be following in the third phase of implementation of the EAAL, i.e. from 1 November 2015 to 30 October 2017. At the request of the European Commission, we will establish a national coordination body, with the result that the National Committee for LLW will be expanded to include representatives of numerous national institutions which are also stakeholders in adult education. Over the course of the two-year period we will transform the strategic plan for LLW into a more comprehensive awareness-raising strategy by means of six action plans. These will address topics such as inter-sectoral integration, ways of reaching marginalised sections of the population, the key role of educators and also of learners, and media and visual promotion. Efforts will focus on building up the EAAL specialised events, where in 2016 the emphasis will be on improving the employability of members of vulnerable target groups, and in 2017 on their active inclusion in the learning community. As before, we will keep you up to date with the achievement of these objectives on an ongoing basis. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE Two meetings of the group on European indicators in education At the end of June we joined the other members of the Standing Group on Indicators and Benchmarks (SGIB) for the 39th meeting at the European Commission (EC). EC representatives informed us about recent staffing and organisational changes at the EC, including the transfer of the field of "vocational education and training, adult education and skills" from the Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) to the Directorate General for Employment (DG EMPL). This has the further consequence that the SGIB will no longer deal with the PIAAC adult skills survey and the development of an indicator or benchmark for this aspect of education, or with the continual vocational training survey (CVTS). Nevertheless, both fields are included in the annual progress report, the Education and Training Monitor 2015, with contents prepared for them by DG EMPL. The SGIB convened for the second time this year on 1 and 2 December in Brussels, after the official launch of the E&T Monitor (on 12 November). The Member States cooperated more actively for the first time in disseminating the Monitor, with a presentation event being organised in 12 countries including Slovenia (on 13 November at the European Commission Representation in Ljubljana). The topics covered at both meetings also include the introduction of the quality aspects of the Joint Assessment Framework (JAF) methodology and the definition of the seven priority areas of education policy in the coming period: Effective investment in education and educational infrastructure, Innovations in education (new technologies, enterprise, institutional changes), Eliminating inequality and fostering social inclusion and active citizenship, Importance of teachers for improving the quality of education, Key competences, Quality pre­school education and Fostering learning mobility. These will also be priority areas as regards our work in the field of the development of indicators and the monitoring of progress. We also discussed the surveys that await us in the next few years, including TALIS 2018 (professional development of teachers), PISA 2018, PIAAC 2017 or 2022 and ICILS 2018 (digital competences of secondary school students). The EC has reconvened the expert group for ICT (in which Slovenia is represented by Borut Čampelj of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport) and a new group has been formed for multilingualism (in which Slovenia is represented by Dr Karmen Pižorn of the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Education). At the November meeting the Commission presented the Joint Report of the Council and the Commission on the implementation of the Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (I&U) up to 2020 (Joint Report), which sets new foundations for the operation of our group. At the meeting we exchanged information on how individual countries are deciding on involvement in specific international research projects, and found that an approach that is a little more systematic and long-term would be in order. We also focused on the issue of monitoring the inclusion of new immigrants in education, and determined that in this area too, the challenge is huge and more topical than ever. In 2016 the SGIB will enter a new term that will last until the middle of 2018. Four group activities have been defined: guidance in developing indicators and target values for monitoring progress of the E&T system, exchange of information and knowledge between E&T sectors, use of data/information in decision-making and guidance and rationalisation of reporting. In the substantive area, in addition to employability, the focus is on preschool education, social inclusion, learning mobility, teacher development and effective investment in education. There is therefore no shortage of work in the field of information support for decision-making and the monitoring of progress in education, which includes a large number of individuals and institutions at the national, European and global levels. Zvonka Pangerc Pahernik MSc (zvonka.pangerc@acs.si), SIAE Education and Training Monitor 2015 On 13 November the results of the publication Education and Training Monitor 2015 were presented at the Representation of the European Commission in Slovenia. This annual publication offers a summary of the development of education and training in Europe on the basis of a broad range of data. It offers a complete overview of the situation in the field of education and training in Europe, as achieved by individual countries through their pursuit of the objectives of the strategic framework Education and Training 2020 and the economic strategy Europe 2020. Part of the publication focuses on trends in individual Member States, including Slovenia. Comparisons of various parts of Slovenia's education system (pre-school, primary, secondary, vocational, higher education and adult education) with other EU Member States with respect to various quality indicators were presented by Lene Mejer and Nadia Bonifačič from the Directorate General for Education and Culture at the European Commission. A reaction to the results was offered by Gregor Mohorčič, Director General of the Pre-school and Elementary Education Directorate, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si), SIAE Adoption of the Education 2030 Framework for Action On 4 November 2015, the Education 2030 Framework for Action was adopted at a meeting of ministers and representatives of Member States, the United Nations, civil society, regional agencies, teachers, academics, young people and the private sector. This framework lays down guidelines for Member States for the implementation of the Education 2030 programme. It aims to mobilise all stakeholders around the new global education targets and proposes new ways of implementing, coordinating, financing and reviewing the education agenda – globally, regionally and nationally – to guarantee equal educational opportunities for all. Read more about it here. Adapted by: Simona Kavčič (simona.kavcic@acs.si), SIAE Reader's companion to the PIAAC survey In the context of the PIAAC project in Slovenia, before publishing the data for Slovenia we rushed out a translation of the OECD Skills Outlook Reader's Companion. This publication is designed as a companion to the first OECD Skills Outlook (OECD, 2013). We decided to translate the Reader's Companion in order to help researchers, educators and other experts understand what it is that the PIAAC is measuring and present to them in detail the methodology, a sample plan, opportunities for comparison with previous adult skills surveys and links to the PISA survey. The publication explains, without going into too much technical detail, the methodologies that lie behind the Survey of Adult Skills (PIAAC), the operational aspects of the research such as sampling, data collection and response rate, and how the results are presented. A more detailed presentation of the survey, the methodology used and the quality of the results obtained may be found in the Technical Report on the Survey of Adult Skills (OECD, 2013). The publication covers four topics: what the Survey of Adult Skills measures, how the survey is planned and implemented, how the results are presented and how the survey connects to earlier adult skills surveys, the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and with work in the field of measuring key competences and human capital. When translating certain English expressions into Slovenian, for the most part we used established technical terms. On the other hand, the research group's decision to use the expressions "literacy", "numeracy" and "problem-solving in technology-rich environments" reflected a desire to stick as closely as possible to the definition of these expressions in the Reader's Companion. The publication will serve as a handbook to research reports, other reports and other publications containing data from the PIAAC survey for Slovenia in future years. Estera Možina MA (ester.mozina@acs.si), SIAE Know Your Lifestyle: a manual for teachers and mentors in Slovenian Since the beginning of the summer we have been enriched with five new manuals aimed at teachers and other adult educators focusing in their work on the issue of sustainable development. The material was cr eated as part of the European project Know Your Lifestyle – Introducing Sustainable Consumption in 2nd Chance Education. In the three-year project, which we began in 2012, alongside the materials we held several workshops for adult educators, who had previously tried out certain content with their participants in programmes for younger adults, for whom the project is intended. Both educators and programme participants rated the content and work method highly. The large majority of educators, as well as organisations where the programmes were provided, intend to provide this content in the future for adult programmes. Since the project is ending this year, we would like to take this chance to invite you to check out the material at www.knowyourlifestyle.eu and use some of this fascinating content with your own participants. The manual comprises five units, each in its own folder: Handy & Smartphone, Water as a global good, Global goods production in the textile industry, Sustainable energy and Don’t save your energy! Human energy. It is written in such a way as to enable the teacher to directly use the content, for in addition to basic information on the issue at hand it also provides methods and instructions for implementation and the study materials that participants can use. In versions implemented already, it turned out that teachers successfully tied the proposed content to their work, they successfully added other content applied it to the local level and creatively improvised in using the proposed study methods. in different learning contexts, such as in school (in learning foreign languages, geography, sociology, biology, chemistry and so on) or as inter-subject project content. In particular mentors in the Project Learning for Young Adults programme, together with participants, successfully enhanced the materials in independent study projects, which they carried out in the local environment, thereby spreading awareness beyond their group. On the website you can download the material in Slovenian, English or German and use it at any time. In addition to the online version, you can also obtain printed copies from the SIAE (we have a total of 200 copies in each of the stated languages). If you are interested, please contact the author of this article or call: +386(1) 5842587. Natalija Žalec MAEd (natalija.zalec@acs.si), SIAE European Lifelong Learning Magazine – the new online magazine has arrived With the end of the third financing period at the end of September (EU Lifelong Learning Programme), the European InfoNet Adult Education website, whose active collaborators have included SIAE staff, has bid farewell after ten years. New articles will no longer be published, but the archive of past articles will remain accessible. InfoNet has merged with the Finnish magazine Lifelong Learning in Europe – LLinE, and a pilot issue of a new online adult education magazine called ELM (European Lifelong Learning Magazine) appeared in September. The first regular issue of the new magazine will appear in December. You can read more about the new magazine in the article ELM – European Lifelong Learning Magazine. A new European online magazine on adult education – journalistic writing devoted to the practice of adult learning. While you are waiting for the ELM, make sure you read the last articles from our correspondents around Europe, including Slovenia, on the InfoNet website and in the last issue of LLinE, which is dedicated to the role of theories and paradigms in adult education. Mateja Pečar (mateja.pecar@acs.si), SIAE The KEY to Integration in Slovenian Society: a handbook for providers of the ZIP integration programme Basic communication in the language of the new environment is essential for the active integration of an immigrant into a society. On arriving in a new country, immigrants need an education programme where they can learn vocabulary and basic models of communication relating to everyday life and employment in the language of the host country. The education programme Initial Integration of Immigrants (ZIP), prepared at the SIAE in conjunction with staff from the Centre for Slovene as a Second/Foreign Language at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Arts, helps immigrants acquire the necessary knowledge and information for basic communication in the language of the environment. A handbook entitled vKLJUČevanje v slovensko družbo [The KEY to integration in Slovenian society] has been created for providers of the ZIP programme. For the most part these are teachers of Slovenian and, to a lesser extent, cultural mediators. The handbook contains contents from various social fields that are important for the integration of immigrants into Slovenian society. It tries to make up for the lack of specific integration-related contents in textbooks for learning Slovenian as a foreign language. The authors of the handbook hope that the material will be useful to teachers in their work and that for participants in their courses the material will be, at least to some extent, a real KEY to Slovenian society. Simona Kavčič (simona.kavcic@acs.si), SIAE Intergenerational Learning Centre at the Novo mesto Development and RIC Novo mesto The Intergenerational Learning Centre (ILC) project was first carried out in 2013 as a pilot implementation at RIC Novo mesto, under the auspices of the Association of Slovenian Adult Education Centres (ZLUS) and in cooperation with the GEM project, and was continued in 2014 and 2015. On each occasion, we dedicated the third week of November to organising a number of activities. Through the events held during ILC week, we brought the idea of the inter-generational transfer of knowledge and experience between the young and elderly – in both directions – to fruition. Each year that followed was more successful than the last and so it has now become a firmly established way in which we contribute to inter-generational cooperation and the integration of various partners. Over the last 3 years, we have held 33 different events attended by 859 learners from a wide range of age and target groups. A total of 108 hours have been carried out by 100 providers, ranging from lecturers, members of associations, to volunteers, students and other participants. Not only have we offered a diverse range of content, quality lectures and practical workshops, we have also created conditions that are conducive for learning, discussion and mutual assistance. For the last two years, the financial support of the founder, the Municipality of Novo mesto, has made free intergenerational learning possible. The course contents are not only informative but also entertaining too. A broad spectrum of subjects is covered, ranging from dancing, making things from a variety of materials, baking cookies, braids and other delicacies, to computer and language training, learning about European and other countries, training volunteers, music and modelling workshops. The positive feedback received from the participants and providers confirms that the Intergenerational Learning Centre at RIC Novo Mesto is a meeting place for people of all generations and different target groups in our local environment, especially the most vulnerable. Together, we are putting the principle of lifelong learning into action. For more information, please click here. Zvonka Potočar (zvonka.potocar@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto Simbioza continues with fresh wind beneath its wings The social enterprise Simbioza Genesis had a very busy and colourful autumn, filled with projects that hopefully raised awareness of the importance of intergenerational cooperation and helped underprivileged groups and everyone else with a desire to hone their e-skills. Following the summer break Simbioza started moving. Literally. Simbioza Giba was a success story that brought Slovenia together through exercise. Over 15,000 participants of all generations in 476 different locations all around the country followed the idea that "Movement is life…and life is movement" and took part in a week of activities that encouraged people to be active throughout their life, bringing different generations together in a common spirit of fun. In line with their core belief that nobody should be discriminated against or left behind due to their lack of ICT knowledge, Simbioza continued with its various computer workshops. For young people, the unemployed and those who already have a job they organised different workshops on specific computer programs as part of the e-Simbioza project. When the Ministry of Public Administration launched the updated eGovernment portal, Simbioza organised a week of free workshops. Over 100 citizens were given the chance to learn how to manage their affairs from the comfort of their own home. They also prepared handy tutorials, which will soon be available here. New goals and ideas led to a five-week pilot project of teaching ICT skills to children and young mothers from the Roma community. Access to online information, especially regarding education, help in situations of hardship, exposure to foreign languages and also exposure to Roma traditions and cultural heritage that are in danger of being forgotten are very important in the modern age. There is no doubt that this frequently marginalised community would benefit from new e-skills that are an important part of every job and can offer a way to find essential help and support when needed. Simbioza is not slowing down, even as the weather grows colder. A wide range of activities in their intergenerational centre – from computer workshops for beginners, language courses, DIY workshops with a charity focus, brain fitness, a Christmas party and much more – brought no doubt joy to the holiday season. You can learn about all the different events here. Simbioza team (info@simbioza.eu) e-Roma Resource – new platform for successful Roma integration Within the project e-RR, which is managed and coordinated by the RIC Novo mesto, a publicly accessible platform has been online since June 2015. This platform was designed by the project partners on the basis of our own experience and research conducted over the course of the previous year. In December 2014 the partnership completed its national, transnational and European survey on examples of good practices and an assessment of the needs of the website by a variety of experts and policymakers involved in Roma issues. Their studies included descriptions of legal status, education, employment, health and living conditions and presented the results of the questionnaires through which we obtained answers regarding their assessment of the needs of the website. The survey showed us where, in the opinion of the respondents, the addressing of Roma issues is particularly weak, and drew our attention to some of the more visible projects and activities associated with addressing Roma issues that would be worth highlighting on the website. The national and transnational survey is available online via the e-RR platform. Current data and descriptions in the field of policy and legislation, integration and equal opportunities, education, employment, health and culture in Slovenia, Croatia, Slovakia, Poland, France and the European Union are also presented on the platform, alongside a general description of the situation and an overview of institutions. The library of materials and the library of projects give the platform a special value. Users of the platform can currently explore more than 200 projects and 1,400 different materials. We invite you to explore the platform and to share your projects and their results, examples of good practices, and materials which could be useful to other professionals working in the field of Roma integration. Although the project ended at the end of December 2015, the partners will continue to maintain the platform even after this date. You are invited to send your materials to: err.project@ric-nm.si. On 26 and 27 November 2015 RIC Novo mesto held the international conference "Broaden Horizons – Networks and Experiences for Successful Roma Inclusion", within the context of the international projects e-Roma Resource and Finally, and with the support of the Office for National Minorities. The conference was held under the patronage of His Excellency Borut Pahor, President of the Republic of Slovenia. Numerous institutions and associations operate in the field of Roma integration in individual countries and across Europe, and a variety of projects are being implemented. Often, however, they do not connect with each other and it is difficult for them to ensure the sustainable applicability of project results. The conference was an opportunity for them to present their projects, results and good practices, and to create new partnerships and alliances for more effective operation and cooperation. More than 250 participants listened to the presentations, shared their experiences, debated open questions and visited the project market. More than 90 professionals and practitioners from different fields of Roma inclusion participated actively in developing the content of the conference. See the final programme here. The e-RR project is co-financed by the European Union within the Lifelong Learning Programme. Ana Granda Jakše (ana.granda.jakse@ric-nm.si), Marjeta Gašperšič (meta.gaspersic@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto Final steps of the two-year H-CoDe project at Maribor Adult Education Centre In September 2015 we completed the two-year Leonardo da Vinci, Transfer of Innovation project entitled H-CoDe (Health Competence Development). The final conference took place on 4 September in Barcelona, where we presented the project activities and results. Mateja Muršak, director of the Maribor office of the Employment Service of Slovenia, contributed to the conference by presenting work strategies for long-term unemployed and older unemployed persons. Over the course of the project we developed a training programme for hard-to-place persons and for persons facing long-term unemployment. The training is described in detail in the H-CoDe curriculum, which will soon be available on the project website. Every module is subdivided into learning situations and contains descriptions of their goals, acquired competences, methods, learning materials and means of evaluation. We focused on healthy nutrition, physical activity, self-confidence and motivation, recognition and prevention of addiction, management of emotions and mood disorders. The final project meeting also presented an opportunity for Maribor Adult Education Centre (Andragoški zavod Maribor) to join the REIN network (Rpseau Europpen pour l'Insertion Sociale et Professionnelle des Personnes Dpfavorispes) which has been active and successful for 22 years. Project partners are from Germany, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Turkey, Bulgaria and Slovenia. You can follow the project on Facebook. Irena Urankar (irena.urankar@azm-lu.si), Andragoški zavod Maribor Joy, a short film by the Slovenian Third Age University at the Silver Screen Film Festival in Frankfurt The 2015 Silver Screen Film Festival took place in Frankfurt from 12 to 16 October 2015. The festival, subtitled the "European Film Festival for Generations", is an annual event taking in forty towns and cities in Germany, with several screenings going beyond the border. Creating learning and meeting opportunities for young and old, the festival promotes intergenerational cooperation and has become an outstanding example of active ageing and of the intergenerational exchange of knowledge and ideas. The focus of this year's festival in Frankfurt was a celebration of active ageing, so some of the partners in the EU CINAGE project were invited to the opening. Additionally, Maria Helena Antunes from AidLearn Portugal, Dave Turner from Leeds Beckett University (United Kingdom) and Meta Žgur from the Slovenian Third Age University ran a CINAGE workshop designed to introduce participating adult educators and older adult educators to the CINAGE Grundtvig project. Participants in this workshop also included film festival organisers from a number of EU countries. The workshop was an opportunity to rethink older adult education, the role of film in education and filmmaking as a "method" of active ageing. The festival got off to a joyful start with the short film Joy, which preceded the screening of the opening film The New Ones. Later on Meta Žgur, the national coordinator of the CINAGE project in Slovenia, introduced the audience to the creative process of filmmaking that has resulted in Joy and two other short films – Lemon Dance and The Right to Adventure – entirely produced and edited by participants in the CINAGE course under the direction of young students from the Academy of Theatre, Film, Radio and Television in Ljubljana. Joy can be viewed here. The other films are available on the YouTube channel of the CINAGE project. Meta Žgur (meta.zgur@univerzatri.si), Slovenian Third Age University Getting new skills for the library In the first half of the year we enhanced the knowledge of Ljubljana City Library (LCL) employees with four working visits (mobilities) for five days within the context of Erasmus+. The mobility project Getting new skills for the library was attended by four employees working in the field of informing and educating adult library users from the following target groups: the unemployed, adults with low educational attainment and the elderly. We chose four partner organisations that have previous experience of working with the selected target groups: . improving services and trainings for job seekers (City of Vantaa Library and information services, Finland) . digital literacy training (Monaghan County Council Library Services, Ireland), . providing health information and education (Stoke-on-Trent City Council, United Kingdom), and . language training (Volkshochschule-Stadtbibliothek Linz, Austria). The participants were included in a job shadowing scheme at the partner organisations and also visited other relevant institutions in the local area and presented the work of LCL and the functioning of Slovenia's adult education system. Participation in the project brings, for LCL, an improvement in the quality of adult education of its users, new knowledge in the field of teaching and learning, an additional reference in the field of cooperation at the European level, and recognition of LCL as a possible host of mobility in adult education. As well as gaining a huge amount of new ideas for their everyday work, the participants also improved their practical skills in the planning and implementation of adult education and their competences for international project work. We are already planning future joint activities with a range of partners. Dr Simona Šinko (simona.sinko@mklj.si), LCL FINALLY – Financial literacy for a better quality of life In the three-year FINALLY – Financial literacy for the Roma project (funded by the European Union through the Lifelong Learning Programme), RIC Novo mesto, together with project partners from Italy, Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece and Slovakia, has carefully thought through every step in the creation and development of a programme to improve the financial literacy of the Roma people. Initially, using a common methodology, we carried out a study on the financial literacy needs of the Roma population in each of the six partner countries. Based on these findings, we developed a 56-hour training programme, which comprises four modules: Household budgeting – planning in advance and spending money wisely; Saving for the future; Borrowing sensibly; Increasing income. The programme is designed for young Roma adults, who often achieve a higher level of education than their relatives, and are more receptive to learning. They are becoming increasingly independent in terms of managing their finances and are the key actors of social change. In the next step, we developed a teaching manual which is to be used as a tool for training the educat ional programme providers before then being used by providers who are already qualified to teach this target group. The tools or teaching materials included within each topic of the manual also feature in the Workbook for the participants. PowerPoint presentations detailing the key points for each topic were also created. In order to assist the teaching and learning processes, we also created a new educational board game called Romonopoly, which focuses on various financial concepts and real-life financial situations. In addition to having trained teachers, professionals, and Roma mediators to implement this training programme, we have also tested the programme and materials with the Roma target group in each partner country. On the basis of the results and feedback received from the pilot implementations, the material was further improved. The translations into all partner languages and English were published in print and electronic forms. The programme and materials can also be modified to suit other target groups. We strongly recommend that you take full advantage of this opportunity. For further details about the project, please visit the project website. Gabi Ogulin Počrvina MA (gabi.ogulin.pocrvina@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto University of the Third Age Kočevje: Something for everybody In October the Adult education Centre Kočevje (LUK) began its University of the Third Age study programmes, which are co-funded by the Municipality of Kočevje. Something for everybody. This title is the perfect summary of the University of the Third Age programme for existing and new members in the new academic year. These are not just empty words. The first day saw an excellent response from participants, who completely filled the multimedia classroom at LUK as they registered in the programme. We are proud to have been organising adult education for adults in the Kočevje area and neighbouring municipalities for a number of years now. The wide range of study programmes on offer will satisfy those who are interested in learning foreign languages, local history or computer classes, as well as those who prefer handicrafts, cooking, dancing, travel, medicinal plants or perhaps motivational training, sound baths with gongs, new age teachings and more. For more details, see the schedule of study programmes on the website (in Slovenian) of the University of the Third Age. Everyone is welcome! Majda Valda (majda.valda@lu-kocevje.si), LUK PUM Centre Slovenj Gradec takes part in the international project "Know Your Lifestyle" During the last academic year the PUM Centre Slovenj Gradec (PUM is the Slovenian acronym for a programme called "Project Learning for Young Adults") participated in an international project called "Know Your Lifestyle" (see the article on page 18). The main aim of the project, which was run in collaboration with the SIAE and Umanotera, was to increase public awareness of development issues and to promote education for development in the European Union, global learning and the involvement of PUM participants in education for development. The "Know Your Lifestyle" consists of several modules. During the last academic year we ran a module on global textile production, which included several workshops: . My outward appearance: Brand YES or NO? . What influences our choice? Does the purchase of our clothes depend more on the brand or the price? How often do we decide to buy new clothes? Is the purchase really always justified? How much money do we spend on new clothes every month? . Money rules the world. . Who profits from the shirt and by how much? . "Clothes are made by people": Working conditions in the textile industry, And the winner is..., What can you do about it? Read more. We will continue with this project this academic year, despite the fact that the organisations providing PUM have been working without a contract and consequently without funding since 1 July 2015. The young people participating in PUM have signed no agreements on participation either. The Municipality of Slovenj Gradec has offered to help by funding the operation of the PUM Centre Slovenj Gradec until the outcome of the public call for tenders is known. The PUM Centre programme is based on our experiences of PUM provision to date. Damjana Kotnik (damjana.kotnik@mocis.si), PUM Centre Slovenj Gradec Inclusion of immigrants as an opportunity for community learning At the end of October a project team from the Soča Valley Development Centre (PRC) and Gimnazija Tolmin, the promoter of the project New Country – New Challenges (CMEPIUS), aimed at improving the mobility of education workers, attended a one-week training course at Malakoff Upper Secondary School and Moss VOKS in the Norwegian town of Moss, where 23% of the town's population are immigrants. As participants in Mobility Week, we were given an insight into the organisation of the work and programmes that are being implemented at Malakoff Upper Secondary School, which in 2011 received Queen Sonja's School Award for its achievements in the field of the inclusion of immigrant students, the organisation of activities for their parents, the creation of a positive school atmosphere and the provision of the necessary psychosocial support during their integration into Norwegian society. We had the chance to be present during lessons at Malakoff Upper Secondary School and Moss VOKS. Classes consisted of different homogeneous groups of pupils and adult immigrants: a secondary school preparatory class, a Norwegian language class for fast learners (the class in the photograph), a basic literacy training class, etc. We were also introduced to programmes that provide additional support to pupils and their parents and had the opportunity to take part in the Multicultural Day, where we learnt about programmes aimed at developing respect for diversity. Via individual conversations with the head of the school, school counsellors and teachers, we were presented with real situations and problems, methods for solving them and ways of coordinating work among the different organisations who work with immigrants after they enter the country. It is high time that we too, in collaboration with different institutions, set up models for the social inclusion of immigrants into our community and outlin specific activities. Patricija Rejec (patricija.rejec@prc.si), PRC Tolmin Project SORO to a new programme for professionals The project SORO – Cooperation for Roma’s Health, co-financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism Programme, was launched on 27 February 2015 and will run until the end of April 2016. It was established in response to the longstanding unresolved challenges related to the inclusion of Roma people in the healthcare system. We have already carried out several activities, such as the implementation of educational programmes for the Roma people, campaigning activities and media events in order to raise awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. To date, in Novo mesto alone, 350 participants have been involved in these activities. Under the project we have trained 12 Roma coordinators and established a Regional Council for Roma Health. Moreover, in recent months, we have prepared a new 16-hour training programme for healthcare workers and professionals who work with Roma people, and have planned for 4 programmes to be implemented at the beginning of next year. While the programme itself contributes to understanding the life of the Roma people in Slovenia, it also points out the rights and duties of individuals in the field of social transfers and highlights the importance of inter-institutional connections. It does not ignore interculturalism, the relations within it or the practical resolution of conflicts through constructive solutions. The programme will be implemented by mediation experts and respected professionals with several years of experience in dealing with Roma issues. For further information about the programme, please visit the project website and Facebook page as we will have a series of interesting events prepared by the time the project concludes. Brigita Herženjak (brigita.herzenjak@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto A promotional film on guidance for adults successfully concludes the project RIC Novo mesto was involved in the project Guidance for Adults, which ended in October 2015. The project was funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the EU within the European Social Fund, so all services were free to users. The purpose of this project was to empower vulnerable target groups and, through guidance activities, encourage them to enrol in either formal or non-formal education or help them find employment. The priority target groups for which guidance activities were implemented were older adults who have completed less than four years of secondary school and are employed or unemployed, young adults who leave school early, Roma people, people with disabilities, migrants and prisoners. In order to reach the priority target groups and the project objective (which was to include at least 150 adults in guidance activities), we connected with our partners in the local area. Our wider project team included the prison service Zapori Novo mesto, SEP d.o.o. of Mokronog, the Employment Service of Slovenia (Novo mesto office) and the adult education centre LUK. The majority of the participants in guidance activities were included in non-formal education (e.g. activities of the centre for independent learning, computer courses, other free activities in the local area). Around one fifth of guidance activities participants have enrolled in formal education or training in order to gain a formal qualification (primary and secondary programmes for adults or a programme leading to a national vocational qualification (NVQ)). Some have even found employment or got involved in other forms of work (e.g. voluntary work). Special attention was paid to the target group of employees, specifically older employees (aged over 45) with less than a secondary education qualification. We also ran guidance activities at three companies (Dana, SEP and Adria Mobil). The responses of our participants (older employees at those companies) to the question "Why it is important to invest in the development of the competences of older employees" may have varied, but what they all have in common is a positive acceptance of this kind of guidance and education, particularly for the development of key competences and the acquisition of new skills – which they are already using in the workplace. On the other hand non-formal education is also an opportunity for informal socialising with co­workers, which is important for a better working relationship and atmosphere. The fact is that lifelong learning is essential, particularly for older employees, especially when it comes to unstable jobs. A readiness for education/training and, consequently, greater autonomy and flexibility is a key point in effectively coping with work tasks and keeping a job. By implementing guidance in-company, directly in employees' workplaces, it is easier for them to obtain information that they would otherwise have to look for themselves. At the end of the project we prepared a promotional film Guidance for the development of employee competences and greater opportunities in the labour market, which underlines the importance and impact of the project. It is available on our website and here. Tina Strnad (tina.strnad@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto The Knowledge Exchange The Knowledge Exchange (KE) is a unique adult education service. It is an information centre which collects, arranges and mediates information about people who are looking for certain knowledge and those who can offer that knowledge. Slovenia's national KE network consists of 11 KEs, distributed across learning institutions in locations all over Slovenia – in Ljubljana, Maribor, Novo mesto, Nova Gorica and (in Slovenian) Celje, Murska Sobota, Izola, Postojna, Ptuj and Žalec. For users they offer a chance to present and distribute knowledge to others, and to establish connections with people who offer the knowledge they need. Users are people who are willing to share ideas, knowledge, skills and competences. They mainly exchange these individually, but where the demand is greater they may also organise workshops or lectures. At some KEs it is also possible to prepare exhibitions. Users can offer or ask for various types of knowledge – computer and language skills, practical crafts skills, travel information, history, dance, literature, etc. The service was established in the early 1990s on the basis of an idea brought to Slovenia from Chicago by Dr Zoran Jelenc. The concept was developed at the SIAE and since the beginning has mainly been funded by Ministry of Education, Science and Sport, with a smaller contribution from local communities and institutions hosting KEs. Altogether there are around 22,000 users, with more than 10,000 different offers of knowledge and almost 28,000 requests for knowledge. Information about those offering or requiring knowledge may be accessed free of charge, while the way users exchange knowledge is negotiated between the users themselves. Dr Simona Šinko (simona.sinko@mklj.si), LCL RIC Novo mesto implemented a series of educational workshops in primary schools In 2007, the European Parliament and the Council adopted an order establishing a specific programme (Daphne III) for the period 2007–2013 as part of the General Programme "Fundamental Rights and Justice" which was aimed at protecting victims and groups at risk and preventing and combating violence against children, young people and women. The “Early Marriage – Culture or Abuse?” project is being carried out by the following international partners from Slovenia (The Novo mesto Development and Education Centre (hereinafter: RIC Novo Mesto); Kočevje Adult Education Centre (project leader)), Bulgaria and Italy – the project runs from 1 October 2014 to 30 September 2016. The project focuses on focuses on determining how early marriages are practiced among the Roma people, and encompasses several objectives, among them: . to gain a better understanding of cultural differences and norms through socio­logical research among Roma people; . to help professionals and policy makers get a better feel for working in a multi­ cultural community; . to include young people in primary educational programmes; . to employ a Roma mediator who will visit Roma families in the settlements and, through mediation, to help them overcome the problems they encounter related to early marriage, arranged marriages, intergenerational conflicts or violations of children's rights; . to raise public awareness of the project, its results and new initiatives. In autumn, RIC Novo mesto began to intensively implement educational workshops in primary schools for pupils aged 9–14 years. The workshops are based on active experiential learning methods. In order to add some variety to the work at school, the coordinators of the project from RIC Novo mesto and the Adult Education Centre Kočevje prepared two didactic tools: the first took the form of short animated films for pupils and the second was an educational card game, which allow those running the workshops to ensure all pupils are involved, despite the delicacy and complexity of some of the topics discussed. Read more. Tea Sulič(tea.sulic@ric-nm.si), RIC Novo mesto