Odeon – Openness to diversity through community education (NR. 2016-1-LV01-KA204-022704)

This Erasmus + KA2 project was designed together with Latvian and Cypriot partners. The Latvian partner has proposed becoming the coordinator. It was a great choice because it proved to be lively and precise in assuming all the responsibilities

The aim of the project is to develop methodological recommendations for adults with disadvantaged backgrounds in education, organizing adult education and exchange of experience. The goal was determined by analyzing the situation in adult education.

The Strategic Framework for European Cooperation in Education and Training (ET 2020) says that in 2020 education will be involved in 15% of adults aged 25 to 64 years. The Member States have difficulties in achieving this criterion. In 2014 the EU Member States average rate was 11.6%, but 6.2% in Latvia. Eight countries had reached a 5% rate, but 3 – exceeded 25%. Various studies show that more actively involved in education are people with higher education and income levels. However, a number of target groups experiencing difficulties to engage in education. In the 2007 – 2013 programming period, a key role in adult education was the Latvian Ministry of Welfare. Operational evaluation concluded that the implemented activities did not provide adequate coverage in municipalities and support for difficult-to-reach or less motivated adults. International comparisons of adult education shows that in Latvia the education system of quality dimensions of 122 countries is ranked in only in 56 place (2013). Lower access to education has the Latvian population from less favorable environment: people from rural areas, people with low incomes, young people who do not have education, seniors. Equality and inclusion problem is actualized even with the expected admission of migrants. Therefore, the selected priority project – Inclusive education, training and youth.

The SWOT analysis of Latvian Adult Education Management Model Implementation Plan 2016 – 2020 identified the lack of a mechanism to flexibly respond to different target group needs. Insufficient mobilization of all resources involved in adult education and their cooperation without a target, can not be prevented from fragmentation of adult education. Based on these findings, the project is designed to implement community education approaches to encourage adults from disadvantaged backgrounds to access education and members of the community to be open to diversity. Project acronym “Odeon” is an immediate concept of open concert hall. In ancient times, in the following halls, there was a wide audience not only for singing and theater events but also for political and legal meetings. Odeon project will bring together the different national representatives to the various measures to strengthen the sense of community, trained to accept each other and work together.

Latvian community education resource mobilization has leading roles for local adult education coordinators. But they do not have an adequate supply of further education. Therefore it is necessary for a transnational project whose mission is to provide adult educators with the training and exchange of experiences to promote the organization of internationalization and innovation. The project’s direct participants are adult educators and adult coordinators, teachers.

To ensure a broader knowledge transfer and investment in human resources development, the project will be developed to provide methodological recommendations for adults with disadvantaged backgrounds in education.

The three learning / teaching / training activities in Cyprus (Paphos) March 2017, Italy (Ferrara) June 2017 and Latvia (Ljeupaia) July 2017 had been all realised successfully.

At present, a report is prepared on the activities carried out in particular about the best practices identified and tested, which can be incorporated into each partner’s methodology.