Maquetación 1 - European Network For Intergenerational Learning

Intergenerational
Learning
European Magazine
Year 2
Issue 3
April 2012

Copyright © 2012 ENIL (European Network for Intergenerational Learning)
All rights reserved.
This magazine is published with the support of the European Commission through
the Lifelong Learning Programme (Grundtvig). The content of this publication reflects
the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible
for any use which may be made of the information contained herein.
Chief Editor:
Editorial Board:
Jayne Maltby
Ruth Braithwaite
Mali Crasovan
Marissa Pablo-Durr
Boian Savtchev
Design:
Printing:
Contact:
Cuenca On Line (Spain)
ECET Bulgaria
Intergenerational Learning:
European Magazine Editorial
Office
Jayne Maltby
Preston Road Adult Education Centre
97 Preston Road
Hull
Hu9 3QB
United Kingdom
jayne.maltby@hullcc.gov.uk
www.enilnet.eu

CONTENTS PAGE....................
FOREWORD
MR MARCO SCURRIA
VOLUNTEERING: AN ITALIAN PERSPECTIVE
ANNABEL DESIRA AND RACHEL SCHEMBRI
THE PARENTS IN EDUCATION PROGRAMME
MAG. KLAUDIA FUCHS, MAG. REINHARD WIESER
VOLUNTARY WORK AT TYROLEAN SCHOOLS
LAURA BERGVALL AND HULYA KYTO
A CLOSER LOOK AT ONE WOMANʼS WORK
CLARE BENNETT
READING CHAMPIONS: A VOLUNTEER READING COURSE
MARISSA PABLO-DURR
INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS: THE NEST
PROJECT IN NUREMBURG
MAG. URSULA KLEE
SILVER SURFERS: YOUTH SUPPORT OLD AGE ON INTERNET
FRANCI PUSAR
VOLUNTEERING: A SLOVENIAN PERSPECTIVE
JULIETTE COLLIER
INTERGENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
IN A FAMILY LEARNING PROJECT
Mr Marco Scurria Italian member of the European Parliament
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3

FOREWORD
The Intergenerational Learning (IGL) field has still to be thoroughly defined. We have encountered many
examples of its practice while writing our report on the state of the art in IGL and Volunteering (downloadable
from our website www.enilnet.eu). But what comes out clear enough when you consider both the theory
and the practice of IGL is that it describes interactions between persons of different ages, and as such
practically applies to the individual all through his life and development process. IGL is a dynamical system
that creates relationships that will lead to learning, whether they happen in a formal, non formal or informal
surrounding. In this perspective, a generation would mean a life course, as the construction of intelligence
is a non-ending process that will include “encounters” with parents, teachers, educators, tutors, trainers...
Volunteering as a concept in each of our European partner countries is varied, and can cover different status
and situations relating to different traditions or various visions of the role of the state, from lack of recognition,
prejudice against it (study case from Slovenia), need for a European legal framework (article from
Mr Scurria MP), professional approach through training of (study cases from Malta, and Hull CC, UK) to national
support and/or organisation (Tirol, Finland, Germany, CFL UK). Volunteering has been explored as a
practice and quantified by various surveys, and a few facts are easily available nowadays: It is defined by
Edith Archambault in “Volunteering in France and in Europe” (survey for the John Hopkins Programme), as
“Un travail non rémunéré, du temps passé à rendre service à divers groupes ou organismes en dehors de
la famille et des amis”, “Unpaid work, time spent in service to various groups or organizations outside the
family and friends”. More than 100 million Europeans engage in voluntary activities, live in solidarity, and
through this make a difference to our society.
A Eurobarometer survey in 2006 revealed that 3 out of 10 Europeans claim to be active in a voluntary capacity
and that close to 80% of respondents felt that voluntary activities are an important part of democratic
life in Europe.
In “Volunteering in the European Union -An Overview Working paper no. 2 of the observatory for Sociopolitical
Developments in Europe”, by Annette Angermann/ Birgit Sittermann, 2010, we get some significant
figures that give body to the importance of Volunteering:
“Approximately 140 million people in the 37 countries engage in volunteer work in a typical year”.
● If those 140 million volunteers comprised the population of a country, it would be the 8th largest country
in the world.
● Those 140 million volunteers represent the equivalent of 20.8 million full-time equivalent jobs.
Volunteers make a €277 billion contribution to the global economy; that would make it the 7th largest economy
in Europe.
● Volunteer input represents 68 percent of total private philanthropy in the countries studied.
● Volunteers represent 44 percent of the non-profit workforce in those countries.”
Volunteering is a key issue for IGL implementation. It allows experimentation of new practices, it keeps
solidarity alive, it brings together generations without the pressure of financial gain. It should not however
be opposed or stand in the way of professional work, but explore new ways for it.
4

Italian member
of the European Parliament
VOLUNTEERING:
AN ITALIAN PERSPECTIVE
Abstract
“Actions carried out by volunteers of all ages are crucial to the development of democracy, one of the founding
principles of the European Union…”(Committee on Culture and Educationʼs Draft Report). Talking about
volunteering means talking about fundamental values, such as respect for human rights, refusal of any kind
of discrimination, intercultural dialogue, enhancement of each individualʼs freedom: Volunteering is a challenging
issue which is why it requires a deep analysis.
Volunteering, which is meant to be an “act based on free choice, motivation and will and characterized
by the lack of concern for financial gain”, is, in this context, an example of civic participation through which
the citizen, being aware of their communityʼs needs, takes action in order to help people and thus develop
a sense of commitment towards the community. Voluntary activities constitute a rich non-formal learning
experience which allows the development of social skills and contributes to solidarity. It expresses the value
of sharing with each other.
Résumé
“Les actions menées par des bénévoles de tous âges sont essentielles au développement de la démocratie,
lʼun des principes fondateurs de lʼUnion européenne ... “(Committee on Culture and Educationʼs Draft
Report). Parler du bénévolat, cʼest parler dʼun grand nombre de valeurs fondamentales, du respect des
droits de lʼhomme, du refus de toute forme de discrimination, du dialogue interculturel, du renforcement de
la liberté de chaque individu: le bénévolat est une question difficile, cʼest pourquoi elle exige une analyse
approfondie Le bénévolat, qui est censé être un «acte fondé sur le libre choix, la motivation et la volonté,
caractérisé par lʼabsence dʼintérêt pour le gain financier», est, dans ce contexte, un exemple de la participation
civique par laquelle le citoyen, conscient des besoins de sa communauté, agit activement dans le but
dʼaider les gens et de développer ainsi un sentiment dʼengagement envers la communauté. Les activités bénévoles
constituent une riche expérience dʼapprentissage non formel qui permet le développement de compétences
sociales et contribue à la solidarité. Elles expriment la valeur du partage avec lʼautre.
Abstract
“Tätigkeiten, die Freiwillige aller Altersgruppen durchführen, spielen eine entscheidende Rolle im Rahmen
der Entwicklung der Demokratie, einem Grundprinzip der Europäischen Union ...” (Auszug aus dem Bericht
des Ausschusses für Kultur und Bildung). Über ehrenamtliche Tätigkeiten zu reden, bedeutet also über Grundwerte
zu reden, wie z.B. über die Achtung der Menschenrechte, die Ablehnung jeglicher Art von Diskriminierung,
den interkulturellen Dialog und die Stärkung der Freiheit des Einzelnen: Freiwilliges Engagement ist eine
grundlegende Frage und muss deshalb intensiv analysiert werden. Ehrenamtlich zu arbeiten heißt weiters
„freiwillig und motiviert zu arbeiten und nicht auf finanziellen Gewinn ausgerichtet zu sein”, und ist ein Beispiel
für bürgerliches Engagement, durch das der Bürger, der Bescheid über die Bedürfnisse der Mitmenschen
weiß, Maßnahmen ergreift, um anderen zu helfen, und der so ein Gefühl der Verpflichtung gegenüber der Gemeinschaft
entwickelt. Freiwillige Arbeit ist eine durchaus bereichernde Erfahrung und gehört zum nicht-formalen
Lernen, durch das soziale Kompetenzen erworben werden und das Solidarität schafft. Freiwilligenarbeit
bedeutet auch, sich auf andere einzulassen und das, was man hat, mit ihnen zu teilen.
5

6
When the EU Heads of State decided to dedicate
2011 to volunteering, the initial fears of many
Members of the European Parliament was that the
European Year of Volunteering would not receive
any attention, as happened in 2010: the European
Year against Poverty.
The European Commission identified, as an
emergency, the lack of legislative certainties on the
acknowledgment and recognition of volunteersʼ
work protection; the absence of a legal framework
(in 16 countries out of 27) and the need to measure
accurately the economic importance of volunteering.
So, as I pointed out during the Conference on
Intergenerational Learning and Volunteering, in
Rome in November 2011, I reiterate that the most
urgent issues in the field of volunteering are represented
by European legislation harmonisation concerning
volunteering via the importance the
associationsʼ experiences. The necessity of a legal
framework for all EU countries has its roots in such
important facts, ranging from volunteeringʼs impact
on society and economic growth to volunteeringʼs
role in the promotion of active citizenship, to social
inclusion and the European Union values: justice,
solidarity, inclusion and citizenship; realities that improve
the mutual comprehension and develop a
stronger European identity. Legal frameworks are
necessary because, today, volunteering is a mainstay
of society, which generates human and social
resources; it is a tool of integration and employment,
as well as a key element in strengthening
economic and social cohesion, which are two of the
Lisbon Treaty founding principles. Volunteering is
“…a crucial renewable resource for social and environmental
problem-solving the world over; the
scale of such work is enormous and the contribution
it makes to the quality of life in countries everywhere
is greater still. Despite this, little sustained
effort has so far gone into its measurement.”
After the first fears, the initial requests, the fundamental
needs of the volunteer and of those who
support and work with volunteering, I am proud and
excited to observe that a major result has been reached
by the Department of Statistics of Genevaʼs
International Labour Office in collaboration with the
United Nations Volunteers, and the Johns Hopkins
University Center for Civil Society Studies. They published,
in 2011, the ILO Manual on the Measurement
of Volunteer Work making available
comparative cross-national data on a significant
form of work, which is growing in importance but is
often ignored or rarely captured in traditional economic
statistics. This manual represents the firstever
internationally sanctioned approach for
gathering official data on the amount, character,
and contribution of volunteering. This approach will
generate cross-national comparable data, including
the number of volunteers; and has the advantage of
being cost-effective, efficient, reliable and feasible
in a wide variety of countries. As this manual points
out, the measurement of volunteer work is necessary
because volunteer work is sizable and has
considerable economic value. Volunteers constitute
a far more significant share of the workforce of nations
than is commonly recognised. A Johns Hopkinsʼ
statistics study has found that in 37 countries
approximately 12 per cent of the adult population is
committed to some volunteer activity each year; it
means that if all these volunteers constituted the
population of a country, it would be the eighth largest
country in the world, behind Russia but ahead
of Japan. These volunteers are the equivalent of
20.8 million full-time-equivalent paid workers, much
more than the number employed by the utilities industry
and just slightly less than those employed in
the transportation and construction industries in the
37 countries studied. All told, even conservatively
estimated, volunteers make a $400 billion contribution
to the global economy. In the field of employment,
it is important to specify that volunteering
contributes to the Europe 2020 Strategy, an approach
which aims to stimulate smart, sustainable and
inclusive growth and to raise the employment rate
to 75% by 2020: in fact, volunteering also provides
important learning opportunities, because involvement
in voluntary activities can provide people with
new skills and competencies and can even improve
their employability. A Johns Hopkins Universityʼs
study points out that the voluntary sector contributes
5% of the GDP. What is not counted cannot be
effectively managed.
The lack of systematic data on volunteer work is
not simply an academic matter. It also limits the ability
to make the most effective use of this important
resource. That is why the contribution of volunteer
employment to the production of goods and services
should be counted for all sectors of the System
of National Accounts (SNA), with the exception of
the household sector, where only the production of
goods, and not services, is counted. In other words,
the value of direct volunteer work that produces services
is not counted, whereas the value of informal
volunteer work that produces goods is. At European
level the role of volunteering has recently grown in
importance, both actual and perceived, as a tool
aimed at solving difficult problems: in fact, volunteers
are engaged in a diverse range of activities,
such as provision of education and social services,
mutual aid, advocacy, campaigning, management,
community and environmental action. Volunteering
is part of the European Agendaʼs priorities and European
political objectives, as it represents an ins-

trument to reach citizens and their needs, to create
an inclusive society, to overcome discrimination, to
combat poverty and to contribute to each Member
Stateʼs economic growth.
As rapporteur of the 2011 European Year of Volunteering,
I would like to emphasise and to thank
European Institutions for their contribution. It was
during the Year of Volunteering that the European
Commission focused on the importance of this sector
by offering funding opportunities to volunteers
and to voluntary activities within the framework of
several programmes. For example, the European
Voluntary Service which offers young people, between
18 and 30 years, the possibility to develop voluntary
activities outside their own country for a
period of 12 months allowing volunteers to acquire
new qualifications, to learn languages and to discover
other cultures. The Commission has also
acknowledged and promoted voluntary cross-border
activities which contribute to the mobility and to
the intercultural learning of its citizens, strengthening
their European identity. The Commission has
recently announced its intention to promote crossborder
voluntary activities by adopting, for the first
time, a programme document exclusively intended
for this sector, that contemplates for 2012, the creation
of a Humanitarian Aid Volunteering Corps and
a “European Skills passport”. This will guarantee a
cross-border acknowledgment of professional skills
and competencies and it will allow every single person
to record what they had acquired through their
volunteering experiences. In my opinion, without
the uninterrupted and significant action of volunteers
and not-for-profit associations, social inclusion,
employment, education, competency development
and the promotion of citizenship would not have
achieved their current levels. Volunteering should
not be considered as an alternative to formal training
but complementary to it, promoting volunteers
mobility. Therefore, in the sector of education, one
of the European priorities is to acknowledge volunteering
as a learning experience: through mobility,
citizens can exercise their right of free movement
within the European Union. Cross-border volunteering
is an example of this learning through mobility.
In Europe, over 100 million people routinely carry
out volunteering activities: although it is one of the
most practised activities in Europe, it is still not acknowledged
enough by the media and institutions.
The two areas of EU policy most closely related
to cross-border volunteering are youth and education.
Both policies consider volunteering in another
Member State as a form of non-formal learning leading
to the acquisition of skills that are valuable in
the labour market. One of their objectives is to encourage
co-operation among the Member States to
reduce the obstacles for mobility of young volunteers
(e.g. by recognising their learning outcomes).
The main contribution of EU youth policy in the area
of cross-border volunteering has been the establishment
of The European Voluntary Service Programme
(EVS) in the 1990s, currently the most
popular scheme for youth volunteer mobility in Europe
(around 5,000 participants annually in recent
years). The EVS is currently the largest single
source of support for volunteering from the European
Union. It is part of the Youth Programme
2007-2013 and provides young Europeans “…with
the unique chance to express their personal commitment
through unpaid and full-time voluntary activities
in a foreign country within or outside the EU.
In this way, it seeks to develop solidarity, mutual understanding
and tolerance among young people,
thus contributing to reinforcing social cohesion in
the European Union and to promoting young peopleʼs
active citizenship.” Initially cross-border volunteering
was a part of the ʻcounter-cultureʼ – an
expression of defiance at the modern capitalist way
of living. Since then volunteering has grown in scale
and popularity and has become quite established
among certain social groups, namely, the well-educated
and affluent. Few disadvantaged young people
can access the cross-border opportunities or
are motivated to use them. A typical European
cross-border volunteer is likely to be from an upper
social class background and a university graduate.
Therefore, the majority of EVS volunteers fall within
the 22-26 year age range as they already hold a BA
or Masters degree. Furthermore, more women participate
in transnational volunteer exchanges than
men. The most frequently cited motivations for volunteering
abroad are the wish to get to know a new
country, to learn or improve a language, take a
break from normal life and reflect on what to do
next, be challenged, gain skills or test a career in a
particular field and help other people. If the costs of
volunteering abroad are covered, this can also work
as a temporary solution for unemployed young people.
Interviews with stakeholders have confirmed that
cross-border volunteering is beneficial both to volunteers
themselves, as well as to organisations,
communities and societies involved.
International volunteering has great integration,
cultural learning and empowerment (for civic participation,
among other things) potential and, when
organised within the borders of the EU, it helps with
the development of the European identity. The volunteers
gain competencies needed for mobility (either
for learning or work purposes) and typically
7

8
return home more mature, more self-confident and
potentially more active citizens.
Meanwhile, the host organisations and societies
not only benefit directly from the work of volunteers,
but are also enriched by the intercultural dialogue
and sharing. The employers of former
volunteers profit from a more experienced workforce.
However, there are still many obstacles to crossborder
volunteering within the EU: legal, administrative
and organisational, socioeconomic and
financial, social and cultural. They have been repeatedly
identified in various EU policy documents,
but the development and implementation of relevant
policy actions (especially at the Member State
level) has been rather slow.
Considering this, and as coordinator of the European
Peopleʼs Party Group within the Committee
for Education and Culture, I would like to clarify that
volunteering is important for young people because
it teaches them how to be open-minded and how to
contribute to the well being of others . Volunteering
is informal learning and now more than ever, it represents
one of the elements which contributes to
professional growth and the enhancement of a personal
Curriculum Vitae: the Committee for Education
and Culture states that “Voluntary activities
constitute a rich non-formal learning experience
which enable the development of social skills and
competencies and contribute to solidarity”. In addition
to the programmes referring directly to volunteers
and to volunteering activities, the European
Union offers several funding opportunities accessible
to volunteers in the following sectors: food delivery,
social exclusion and discrimination, equality
between women and men, drugs prevention, assistance
to victims of crime, public health, customersʼ
safety, environment and climate safety.
In order to manage all the challenges for 2011,
the European Commission had set four targets.
One of these was to strengthen volunteering organisations
through co-funding programmes giving
advantage to the strongest: however, as of today,
small organisations are not able to respond to European
calls since they require 40% of cofunding.
On this issue Europe should follow the Italian example:
in 2010, Italy fixed a limit at 10% for calls for
tender. Volunteering is involved in several sectors:
sport, social assistance, welfare and health. The
sports sector is able to mobilise a higher number of
volunteers than any other sector. For the majority
of European states, the sports community would
not exist without volunteering and, in the social assistance
sector, public social assistance would not
exist without volunteering. Nevertheless, there are
many differences across European states; for some
of these countries the presence of volunteering involvement
in sport is quite poor. European States
with a high level of volunteering involvement in
sport are used to having a strong volunteering culture,
proper infrastructures and the aid of public authority.
Volunteering and culture represent another important
ʻrelationshipʼ. Bearing in mind, first of all,
that culture generates GDP, sustainable development
within Europe can only be achieved through a
harmonious relationship between communities and
cultural heritage. In order to achieve economic and
social development, society needs the effective, active
participation of citizens who should themselves
be deeply aware of the role and meaning of cultural
heritage. Volunteering represents an important
resource and a meaningful indicator of participation
and awareness, as well as of personal and social
development; it is one of the bricks which compose
the complex building that we call active citizenship.
Volunteers for Cultural Heritage is a European
project, funded by the European Commission in
Brussels, as part of the Lifelong Learning Programme.
The project starts out by acknowledging
the increasing importance of the voluntary sector
for preserving cultural heritage and running cultural
institutions, such as museums. It has explored
this phenomenon at European level, identifying different
types of voluntary work and the areas of activity
in which cultural volunteers are engaged, with
the objective of designing training addressed both
to volunteers themselves and to the people responsible
for volunteer programmes within cultural
organisations. The project took place from November
2007 until October 2009.
Cultural heritage is a strategic area for European
Community policy-makers, supporting the integration
of different European components through the
recognition of the differences and similarities which
characterise local and national cultures and traditions.
This project takes the position that institutions
involving volunteers must offer adequate training,
not only to provide skills necessary to carry out
what may be very specialised tasks, but also to
contribute to the volunteersʼ growth as individuals,
as members of a community, and as European citizens.
The European Year of Volunteering has represented
a big chance for the Italian social fabric and
for the whole nation: the main target has been to

uild actions and paths agreed and appreciated
between volunteers themselves, the organisations
involving volunteers and promoting volunteering
and active citizenship, institutions and all other shareholders.
Volunteering is not a new phenomenon
in Italy. However, until the 1970s, it was a marginal
one, characterised by a compensatory, charitable
connotation, separate from the welfare system. The
mid1970s represented a sort of turning point, following
the modernisation and decentralisation of the
Italian welfare system, as well as the development
of the third sector. It reflected the development of a
richer and more differentiated society, characterised
by the growth of citizen participation within diverse
aspects of social and civil life that gave birth
to different kinds of organised forms of volunteering.
All of these organisations share some common
elements: they are all private, not-for-profit organisations,
with the scope of social utility and solidarity.
The third sector has not yet been placed into a judicial
framework encompassing the entire sector;
therefore, laws have been provided for its specific
components. Voluntary organisations are a component
of the third sector: the Framework Law n.
266/91 recognises the social value and function of
volunteering as an expression of participation, solidarity
and pluralism. The Law also regulates the relationship
between voluntary organisations and
public administration; it defines the criteria which
allow an organisation to be admitted into the Regional
Voluntary Register. Volunteering activities
are strongly embedded in ideas such as active citizenship,
participation and social capital. According
to Law 266/1991, volunteering is defined as a personal,
spontaneous and non-lucrative activity: volunteers
cannot receive money in any form, only
refunds of expenses. In fact, the Charter of Volunteeringʼs
values, drawn up by the Italian voluntary
sector, at the end of the International Year of Volunteering,
proposed by ONU, qualifies a volunteer
as “…the person who works in a free and open way,
promoting creative and effective responses…”. Furthermore,
the Law clearly defines the difference
between a volunteering activity and a working one
(as employed or freelance worker). During the European
Year of Volunteering, and I am proud to remember
this, the volunteering work carried out in
Italy, thanks to Giorgia Meloni, formerly of the Ministry
of Youth Policy, a big initiative on voluntary issues
was conceptualised and realised creating the
“itinerant Truck initiative.” This was a truck which
travelled across Italy promoting youth involvement
throughout the whole year.
In order to strengthen solidarity, which happens
because people learn to adapt themselves to technological
changes, to globalisation and to the population
aging, it is important that the idea of the
ʻEuropean Yearʼ continues, dedicating 2012 to the
topic of active aging and the solidarity between generations.
2010 was dedicated to poverty, 2011 to
volunteering and 2012 to active aging. These topics
are all connected to each other and they can generate
a common strategy which will be finalised, in
2013, with the European Year of Citizenship. The
promotion of an active old age needs to create better
opportunities and better working conditions in
order to enable women and men over 65 years to
take part in the employment market; to fight against
social exclusion, by promoting active participation
in society, and to encourage healthy aging. The aim
is to allow local authorities and civil society organisations
to plan campaigns and activities on this
topic. So the European Union is committed to guaranteeing
a follow-up to the European Year of Volunteering
and to continue the dialogue with the
parts involved in several strategical sectors connected
with volunteering.
9

Foundation Educational Services,
Malta
THE PARENTS EDUCATION PROGRAME
Abstract
The Foundation for Educational Services provides a range of innovative educational initiatives in the field of literacy,
family learning support and parental empowerment. Currently, the Foundation is also focusing on before
and after-school services for children and their parents as well as a Childcare and a Youth Programme.
The Parents-in-Education Programme, Id fʼId (Hand-in-Hand) programme, is one of the programmes that falls
under the Parental Empowerment Programmes and is a parental capacity building and empowerment initiative.
This case study showcases one short course for parents held at Qormi San Gorg Primary School.
Résumé
La Fondation pour les Services de lʼEducation offre une gamme dʼinitiatives éducatives novatrices dans le domaine
de lʼalphabétisation, du soutien à lʼapprentissage familial, et de lʼautonomisation des parents. Actuellement,
la Fondation met également lʼaccent sur les services avant et après lʼécole pour les enfants et leurs parents, ainsi
que des gardes dʼenfants et un Programme Jeunesse.
Le Programme Parents-dans-lʼéducation, programme Id fʼId (main dans la main), fait partie des Programmes
dʼAutonomisation des Parents ; cʼest une initiative de renforcement des capacités et de lʼautonomisation parentales.
Cette étude de cas met en valeur une formation courte pour les parents qui se déroule à lʼécole primaire
Qormi San Gorg.
Abstract
Die maltesische Stiftung für Bildungsservices bietet eine Vielzahl von innovativen Bildungsinitiativen im Bereich
der Leseförderung und Familienförderung an und unterstützt Familien. Derzeit beschäftigt sich die Stiftung
vor allem mit der Betreuung und Förderung von Kindern und Eltern vor und nach der Schule und mit einem Kinderbetreuungs-und
einem Jugendprogramm.
Das Programm Eltern-und-Erziehung, Id fʼId, ist eines der Angebote der Stiftung, das in den Bereich der Elternförderungsprogramme
fällt und Eltern dazu verhilft, Kompetenzen für einen guten Umgang mit ihren Kindern
zu erwerben. Diese Fallstudie beschreibt, wie ein kurzer Kurs für Eltern an der
Qormi San Gorg-Grundschule abgehalten wurde.
10
Introduction
The general aim of the Id fʼId (Hand-in-Hand) programme
is to address parental participation and involvement
through focused educational talks and short
courses. The programme aims to facilitate the empowerment
of parents so that parents become:
● more capable of recognising their own strengths
and potential;
● more skilled in nurturing their own and their
childʼs learning and growth;
● more actively involved as members of the school
and local community;
● agents of change amongst other parents.
During parent-to-parent courses, Parent Leaders
become skilled in the design and delivery of short nonformal
education courses, workshops and meetings
for other parents, as well as in the design and implementation
of educational projects in schools and localities.
The overall aim of the programme is to promote
and enhance parentsʼ lifelong learning, as well as their
social and economic integration.
The Id fʼId Course at Qormi San Gorg Primary
School
During the months of November and December
2011, a course for parents at Qormi San Gorg Primary
School was organised by the Foundation for Educational
Services (FES) in collaboration with school administrators
and the Parentsʼ School Council. The
six-week course focused on parents becoming more
involved in their childʼs learning and was led by Annabel
Desira, Parental Empowerment Programmesʼ Coordinator
and Marica Bonnici: Parent Leader. Initial
meetings were held between the Head of School, Ms

Pace, and representatives of the School Council to establish
the general course framework. The content was
further developed after the initial session to ensure the
course was parent-led and focused on parentsʼ specific
concerns.
Although the 20 participants, all women who had
children between three and seven years of age, were
from the same locality, they were not all familiar with
each other. Ice breakers and small group activities
were planned for the first session. This enabled participants
to get to know each other, for group facilitators
to familiarise themselves with the group and for parentsʼ
questions and concerns to be discussed.
The cluster of small working groups promoted active
participation and collaboration as all parents, regardless
of their background or educational ability, felt
their contribution was taken into consideration when
decisions were made. This informal working group approach,
adopted throughout the course, also served
to reinforce the role of Parent Leader as cofacilitator.
The topics covered in the first few sessions focused
on story telling, creating story bags and creating
multi-sensory resources. The emphasis was on educational
resources parents could produce for their children
from materials found around the home, some of
which could be done together with their children. Hand
puppets and story sacks were created out of recyclable
materials which reinforced the idea that all parents
could create personalised educational games for their
children. The themes, negotiated by group members,
were influenced by the curriculum and topics covered
in class. A collaborative approach to teaching and learning
was adopted by the whole group. Parents who
had older children were keen to share their ideas, difficulties
and solutions with parents of younger children.
Halfway through the course the parents put forward
the idea of creating resources for the school and not
merely for their own children. This idea was discussed
with the Head of School who was keen to explore the
involvement of parents beyond the traditional parameters
of school fund raisers. Participating parents explored
the notion of organising educational hands-on
activities for two Year 3 classes (children aged between
six and seven years old).
Within their established groups, participating parents
created a range of activities based on the book,
Fir-Razzett tan-Nannu Turu (In Grandpa Arthurʼs
Farm) which included:
● storytelling session including costumes and
props;
● factual information utilised to create crossword
puzzles and flashcards;
● craft activity utilising animal templates;
colours and fruit/vegetable game;
preparation of a healthy smoothie.
During the final session, course facilitators took a
back seat role to enable parents to deliver the activity
they had planned, working directly with Year 3 children
and their teachers. Children were split into groups of
ten and rotated from one activity area to the next. The
hall was full of the enthusiastic chatter of participating
children as the activities unfolded. Nervousness gave
way to confidence as the parents established themselves
within this new role. A certification ceremony
was held at the end of the activity for all participating
parents with the active involvement of Ms Pace.
Although the focus of the course was not on intergenerational
learning, the final activity provided an intergenerational
learning experience for parents,
children and teachers.
Course Outcomes
The short course served to create a collaborative
community between participating parents and to make
this group of parents feel more welcome within their
childʼs school. Feedback from participating parents,
Ms Pace and participating class teachers and children
highlighted the following:
● Parents were interested in organising similar
activities within the school; this idea was endorsed
by Ms Pace;
● Parents discussed the possibility of organising
future activities also in collaboration with the local
council, parish and non governmental organisations;
● Parents have shown an interest to meet monthly
at the school;
They are keen to attend additional courses; a few
were interested in attending a Parent Leaders course;
● Participating parents are interested in working
with other parents;
● Ms Pace is interested in actively exploring the
involvement of parents within the school together
with participating parents and the FES;
● The children enjoyed the session especially
because, ʻIt was something different, fun and
parents were our teachers!”
● Class teachers, who participated in the childrenʼs
activity, were more open to the idea of inviting
parents to class to participate in activity sessions.
Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as
bridges over which they invite their students to cross,
then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse,
encouraging them to create bridges of their own.
-- Nikos Kazantzakis
11

PH Tirol, Austria
MAG. Klaudia Fuchs,
MAG. Reinhard Wieser
VOLUNTARY WORK
AT TYROLEAN SCHOOLS
Abstract
“Buddies” are pupils who support others, above all younger kids, and advise them in matters of school
life and school community. They are volunteers and responsible for numerous different tasks. The Tyrolean
Buddy Project (in German: the Buddy-Projekt Tirol) is a programme that promotes social competencies of
children and adolescents. All the school projects that are carried out within the buddy framework are based
on a systemic approach and peer education, as well as on the personal experiences and backgrounds of
the students. Teachers are mere coaches or facilitators, and the programme refers to the three Organisations
for Economic Co-operation and Development key competencies: professional competence, individual
competence and social competence.
Résumé
“Les Copains” sont des élèves qui en aident dʼautres, en particulier des enfants plus jeunes, et les conseillent
en matière de vie scolaire et de communauté scolaire. Ils sont bénévoles et responsables de nombreuses
tâches différentes. Le Projet Tyrolien Copains (en allemand: the Buddy-Projekt Tirol) est un
programme qui favorise les compétences sociales des enfants et des adolescents. Tous les projets dʼécole
qui sont menés dans le cadre de Copains sont basés sur une approche systémique et de lʼéducation par
les pairs, ainsi que sur les expériences et les antécédents personnels des étudiants. Les enseignants sont
de simples entraîneurs ou animateurs, et le programme se réfère aux trois compétences clés de lʼOrganisation
pour la Coopération et le Développement Economique: la compétence professionnelle, la compétence
individuelle et la compétence sociale.
Abstract
Ein Buddy ist ein Kumpel, der anderen hilft, andere betreut und berät, nicht allumfassend, aber in Dingen
des Schulalltages und der Klassengemeinschaft. Er übernimmt freiwillig und eigenverantwortlich Aufgaben.
Das Ziel des Buddy-Projektes Tirol ist es, die soziale Handlungskompetenz von Kindern und
Jugendlichen zu fördern. Schulprojekte wurden entwickelt, die auf dem systemischen Ansatz basieren und
sich an der Lebenswelt der Schüler/innen orientieren. Mit ihnen soll ein Beitrag zum gewaltfreien Umgang
geleistet und eine neue Kultur der Übernahme von Verantwortung gelebt werden. Lehrers sind im Buddy-
Projekt Coaches und das Programm verhilft Jugendlichen dabei, Fach-, Selbst-sowie Sozialkompetenz, zu
erwerben, um in der Gesellschaft verantwortlich handeln zu können. Diese Schlüsselkompetenzen finden
sich auch im OECD-Referenzrahmen.
12
School is changing fast: today teaching is no
longer limited to mediating only cognitive skills, we
must also focus on many competencies like social
and emotional skills. We also know that a personal
relationship is essential for the positive development
of learning and thus the participants of our
“buddy project” are supposed to cooperate, learn
from each other, learn with each other and take responsibility,
in order to help change things for a better
school community.
What do we understand by “buddy“
A buddy is a student who voluntarily helps and
coaches others, not all-inclusive, but in matters of
everyday school life and the classroom community.
He takes over certain tasks voluntarily and responsibly.
There are, for example, so-called “welcome
buddies” who assist the new children in the first few
weeks so that they can find their way in the new environment.
They also show them the school building,
e.g. where the computer rooms are and help

them purchase their food stamps, copy cards etc.
Other topics can range from: how to read a school
timetable correctly and where to borrow devices
such as a film camera. Sometimes questions arise
regarding the difficulty of a certain subject and ʻif a
student may go to the cafeteria spontaneously without
having booked a meal beforeʼ. In these
cases a buddy may offer his or her help. Further,
offering ice-breaking activities, common leisure
activities, learning support before the first written
tests, problems with classmates -all these tasks
belong to the repertoire of a “welcome buddy”. Moreover,
at our schools the reading, learning and
homework buddies are trained to work as mentors
and support their younger colleagues – in fact,
many more examples could be listed here.
Basic skills
In order to cope with these tasks, our buddies
need to acquire several basic skills. These include,
according to the father of the buddy idea,
Kurt Faller, the ability to help, consult, negotiate,
cooperate, solve conflicts, reflect and nurture learning
skills. They must also be able to identify
and express feelings and needs 1 .
According to the social and educational scientist,
Wolfgang Edelstein, children and juveniles
need professional expertise, personal skills and
social skills to act responsibly in society.
These skills are also described in the Organisation
for Economic Co-operation and Development
(OECD) Framework for Key Competencies. 2
Buddies definitely have these skills because
they operate independently and for the sake of
the community. Through successful social action
self-efficacy is encouraged. In practice, buddies
learn to face real problems and act responsibly.
Together with their supervising teachers, these
young people work out solutions, try to put them
into practice and reflect on the results.
Fields of application
This 15-field model was developed by Kurt Faller
and shows different manifestations of buddy
projects.
On the “cross-age” level, older students help
younger ones or vice versa, and on the “peer
group” level buddies support peers. The reverse
role-model is characterised by reversing the
roles: a student can even take the role of a
buddy and another time he/she is helped by a
Imparting
Skills
Peer Helping Peer Learning Peer Coaching Peer
Counselling
Peer
Mediation
Cross Age
Students as
buddies
Students as
tutors
Experienced
buddies train
younger ones
Buddies
counsel
younger kids
Buddies
support
mediators
In Peer
groups
Students as
helpers
Students
support each
other
Buddies
support
buddies
Buddies
support peers
Buddies end
conflicts
Reverse Role
Students help
each other
Students learn
from each other
Exchange
between buddy
groups
Buddies coach
each other
Buddies give
feedback
13

uddy. This could look like the following example:
Mary is competent in ICT and thus helps
Luke, who has problems in using a PC. On the
other hand, Luke may excel in English and thus
reciprocates through supporting Mary in this
subject.
Teachers as coaches
Our teachers do not only train their students well,
but must also advise and guide them in their work
as coaches. According to Timothy Gallwey, one of
the first American coaches, coaching works on
three levels: the expansion of attention, increasing
the choice and the strengthening of trust.
Literature
Edelstein, Wolfgang (2004): Kompetenzen für
die Zivilgesellschaft. Jena: Vortrag auf der Fachtagung
Lernen und Verstehen. Faller, Kurt/Kneip,
Winfried (2007): Das Buddy-Prinzip, Soziales Lernen
mit System. Düsseldorf: buddY E. V. Gallwey,
Timothy (1999): The Inner Game of Work: Focus,
Learning, Pleasure, and Mobility in the Workplace.
Random House. Nörber, Martin (Hrsg.) (2003):
Peer Education, Bildung und Erziehung von Gleichaltrigen
durch Gleichaltrige. Weinheim, Basel,
Berlin: Beltz.
http://www.oecd.org -8. May 2011
The Tyrolean buddy project
The German, Kurt Faller, helped to implement
this sustainable initiative at the Pedagogical College
of Education in Tyrol (PHT) in autumn 2007. It
is funded by the PHT, the regional Board of Education
and the province of Tyrol. Currently, about 305
teachers and 130 schools participate in the buddy
project.
14

Finland
Laura Bergvall and Hülya Kytö
A CLOSER LOOK
AT ONE WOMAN´S WORK
Abstract
Voluntary work in Finland is deep rooted and one third of the population is part of it. UNIFEM (United Nations
Development Fund for Women) in Finland is an active voluntary organisation involved in the “Luetaan
Yhdessä” (Let´s read together -project). The idea is that information is passed on best at grass roots level.
UNIFEM-Turku has been co-operating with Daisy Ladies for five years having weekly appointments with immigrant
women. Leena Raiskio, a retired teacher, has been working from the start of the project. According
to her, learning the language is the key to adapting to a new country.
Résumé
Le travail bénévole en Finlande est profondément enraciné et un tiers de la population y participe. LʼU-
NIFEM (Fonds de Développement des Nations Unies pour la Femme) en Finlande est une organisation bénévole
active notamment à travers la “Yhdessä Luetaan” (projet -.Lisons ensemble). Lʼidée directrice est que
lʼinformation se transmet au mieux au niveau de la base. UNIFEM-Turku coopère avec Daisy Ladies depuis
cinq ans, rencontrant de façon hebdomadaire des femmes immigrées. Leena Raiskio, une enseignante à
la retraite, travaille depuis le début sur le projet. Selon elle, lʼapprentissage de la langue est la clé pour
sʻadapter à un nouveau pays.
Abstract
Freiwillige Arbeit ist in Finnland tief verwurzelt und ein Drittel der Bevölkerung beteiligt sich daran. Die finnische
UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) ist eine aktive Organisation von Freiwilligen,
die sich am “Luetaan Yhdessä” (Lesen-wir-zusammen-Projekt) beteiligt. Die Idee ist, dass
Informationen am besten „ganz unten“, also an der Basis, weitergegeben werden. UNIFEM-Turku arbeitet
seit fünf Jahren mit den „DaisyLadies“ zusammen und organisiert wöchentliche Treffen von Migrantinnen.
Leena Raiskio, eine pensionierte Lehrerin, hat von Anfang an in dem Projekt mitgearbeitet. Sie weiß, dass
das Erlernen der Landessprache der Schlüssel für eine Anpassung an die Gegebenheiten in einem neuem
Land ist.
In Finland there has been a deep rooted tradition
of voluntary work. Today, approximately one third of
the population is volunteering in different organisations.
Women have always played a crucial role in
helping and caring for people close to them. For instance,
during the Second World War there was the
Lotta Svärd-organisation, which supported Finland
on the home front, thus freeing men to serve as soldiers
at the front and elsewhere. Martat has, since
1899, taught and educated generations of women on
how to manage their homes and to be industrious in
finding ways to make an income.
Nowadays we live in peace but, nonetheless,
women still actively join in many different voluntary
organisations. The United Nations Development
Fund for Women (UNIFEM) is one of the most active
organisations in Finland and is engaged with
important work at grass roots level, especially
through “Luetaan Yhdessä” (Let´s read together -
project). Helvi Sipilä, who founded the UNIFEM National
Committee in 1981, was a global figure and
champion of womenʼs rights, who worked throughout
her career to advance womenʼs empowerment.
She promoted grass roots work and founded
32 local UNIFEM groups. Her idea was that information
is passed on best at grass roots level.
15

The co-operation with the Daisy Ladies (immigrant
organisation for women) started with the
chairperson of UNIFEM-Turku meeting Hissu Kytö.
During a discussion they realised they both had a
mutual need and they could help each other. UNI-
FEM was looking for people interested in the Let´s
read project and the Daisy Ladies were looking for
teachers and long term co-operation. UNIFEM in
Turku has now worked together with Daisy Ladies
for nearly five years.
One of the ladies who have been with the Let´s
read together project from the beginning is a retired
language teacher, Leena Raiskio. When she retired,
she thought, that she could use her time, not
only for hobbies and taking care of her home, but to
do something more. “The voluntary work Finnish
women have done throughout the ages is extremely
important
The topics vary from week to week and the
women are more eager to discuss together than
just read about things. They discuss and ask, for
example, about national holidays, important historical
and political persons, cultural customs and so
on. At the same time the Finnish language is taught.
The challenges are many: how to engage in spite of
the language barrier and the diversity of ways of
each individualʼs learning. This does not discourage
Leena. “Individuals are important and I have learnt
a lot from the immigrant women. They are so open,
warm and we have fun together. When you give,
you´ll receive”, she says. “It is rewarding to oneself
and the women look forward to the weekly lessons.
Learning the language is the key to adapting to a
new country.”
As a language teacher she underlines the motto
of Daisy Ladies: learning the language is the key
and knowledge is the power.
and I want to be part of it”, says Leena. She has
been active in UNIFEM for many years and has
spent the last five years working voluntarily in Daisy
Ladies. Once a week the UNIFEM women come
and mobilise the immigrant women in Daisy Ladies
around the “Let´s read together” project. “Women
need to help each other”, emphasises Leena, “We
need to have an impact on other people´s lives and
stretch outside ourselves.”
16

Hull United Kingdom
Clare Bennett
READING CHAMPIONS:
A VOLUNTEER READING COURSE
Abstract
Hull Adult Education Family Learning was approached by the Hull Family of Catholic Schools to create
a short course to enable volunteers to enhance their skills in supporting childrenʼs reading. These volunteers,
who typically had no formal teaching experience, learnt to overcome their own personal barriers in order
to become active in an educational setting. This pilot projectʼs outcomes were manifold for all and this model
will be replicated throughout the city enriching all stakeholders involved: volunteers, children and schools.
Résumé
LʼAdult Education Family Learning de Hull a été approché par la Famille des Ecoles Catholiques de Hull
pour créer une formation courte qui permette aux bénévoles dʼaméliorer leurs compétences en soutien des
enfants en lecture. Ces bénévoles, qui, généralement, nʼavaient aucune expérience dʼenseignement formel,
ont appris à surmonter leurs propres obstacles personnels afin de devenir actif dans un cadre éducatif. Les
résultats de ce projet pilote ont été multiples pour tous et ce modèle sera reproduit dans toute la ville et enrichira
toutes les parties concernées: les bénévoles, les enfants et les écoles.
Abstract
Die lokalen katholischen Schulen beauftragten die Family-Learning-Abteilung der Erwachsenenbildung
in Hull damit, einen kurzen Kurs zu planen und anzubieten, der Freiwillige befähigen sollte, Kinder beim
Lesen zu unterstützen. Diese Freiwilligen, die bis dahin alle keine Erfahrungen als Lehrer/innen gemacht
hatten, mussten ihre eigenen persönlichen Grenzen überwinden, um sich in der ungewohnten Rolle als
Lehrer/in in einer Lernumgebung aktiv einzubringen. Die Ergebnisse des Pilotprojekt waren vielfältig und positiv
für alle. Der Modellkurs wird in der Stadt Hull fortgesetzt werden und gewiss alle Beteiligten weiterbringen:
die freiwilligen Leselehrer/innen, die Kinder und die Schulen.
Hull Adult Education Family Learning (HAEFL)
was asked by the Hull Family of Catholic Schools
(HFCS) to create a short course to enable volunteers
to enhance their skills in supporting childrenʼs
reading. The seven Catholic primary schools in Hull
wanted to recruit volunteers from the local community
to fill a void left by a voluntary organisation,
which had previously recruited and supported adult
reading volunteers in schools, before it closed in
2011.
This initiative provided the opportunity to reach
the community through a course which would both
extend volunteersʼ skills in supporting childrenʼs reading
whilst providing them with the opportunity to
gain experience of working in an educational environment.
The seven Catholic primary schools are spread
across the city so a city centre based library was
chosen to enable the volunteers to easily attend during
school hours (as some volunteers were parents
with school age children). The Central Library
would also provide the tutors and volunteers with
all the learning resources that would be needed.
The course, therefore, became a partnership project
between the HFCS, HAEFL and Hull Library
Services (HLS). The participating schools championed
the course in their local communities and
this was reflected in the high number of participants:
nineteen volunteers attended the course,
ranging in age from late teens to early seventies.
Its overall aim was to give volunteers the confidence
and skills to support childrenʼs reading. Its
17

objectives and content included: equipping learners
with the confidence, skills and strategies to become
reading volunteers in an educational environment;
learning a variety of different reading strategies and
improving learnersʼ knowledge and skills of how to
help children who have difficulties with reading.
Through this, learners would gain confidence in
their own skills and abilities.
Learner reviews and evaluation at the end of the
course indicated that it had been a very positive experience
and all reported soft personal outcomes
of increased confidence and social interaction:
ʻI have gained lots of information to help me
when I volunteer. I feel more confident to go into
school to help with readingʼ.
ʻI have used the skills I have learnt on the course
with my own children and with the children in the
school I volunteer atʼ.
ʻI have gained new strategies and learning techniques
and gained a new passion for learning that
I thought I had lostʼ.
The Deputy Head of one school commented:
ʻ[the course] has enabled us to open our doors to
“skilled” volunteers, who are enriching the childrenʼs
learning experiences as we speakʼ
All learners volunteered within their schools as
the course progressed, putting their training directly
into practice; about half the group wished to progress
on to a HAEFL literacy course; three intend to
volunteer in the library; and several progressed (or
are considering progressing) onto teaching assistantsʼ
courses.
Other outcomes of the course include: closer
partnerships between HFCS and the HAEFL
including adapting the course to a workshop training
young reading mentors from the Catholic secondary
school; extending the cooperation between
the HLS and the HAEFL with an accredited family
literacy course starting in the same venue from January
2012; and training for Family Learning tutors
in childrenʼs reading support.
The course was a pilot project which can be replicated
in local areas of the city using community
libraries and neighbouring schools and can be
adapted to suit the needs of volunteers, schools
and children.
18

Pedagogical Institute and School
Psychology of Nuremberg, Germany
Marissa Pablo-Dürr
INVOLVING PARENTS IN SCHOOLS FOR
SCHOOL SUCCESS -THE NEST PROJECT IN
NUREMBURG
Abstract
This article describes the Nuremberg Parentsʼ Office for School Success and Participation project in Nuremberg
and the fielding of Parentsʼ Intermediaries in partner schools in the city. The working relationships
that were created set the stage for a range of measures that would include mainstreaming intergenerational
learning elements in combination with intercultural learning within the formal school system.
Résumé
Cet article décrit le projet du Bureau des Parents pour la Réussite Scolaire et la Participation de Nuremberg
et la mise en service des intermédiaires des parents dans les écoles partenaires de la ville. Les
relations de travail créées préparent le terrain pour une série de mesures qui comprennent lʼintégration des
éléments dʼapprentissage intergénérationnels, en combinaison avec lʼapprentissage interculturel au sein
du système scolaire formel.
Abstract
Dieser Artikel beschreibt die Bemühungen des “Nürnberger Elternbüros für Schulerfolg und Teilhabe”
(NEST) um die Beteiligung und Partizipation von Eltern mit Migrationshintergrund an Partnerschulen des SPI
Nürnberg zu fördern. Die geplanten Aktivitäten führen dazu, dass Elemente des Lernens unter den Generationen
sowie interkulturelles Lernen in der Regelschule initiiert werden können.
Getting parents into schools is in itself not always
an easy task and involving them in ways that truly
contribute to increasing the school success of their
children is even more fraught with false starts and
dead-ends. In Nuremberg, where 50% of all school
children have immigrant backgrounds of various
origins, an additional difficulty is posed by the lack of
German language competencies of some parents.
Subsidised compulsory German language lessons
were only started on a nationwide scale in 2005,
almost 50 years after the first wave of “Gastarbeiter”,
or foreign workers, were recruited into the country.
This means that a wide range of German language
competencies exist amongst residents of foreign
origin – from those in the second and third
generation born and raised in the country to those
just recently arrived. School teachers and head
teachers, as well as school social workers, have
often been at a loss in the past when it came to
communicating with the latter. On the other hand, it
is clear that deciding on the educational futures of
their children entails much more information about
the complexities of the Bavarian educational system
than most parents are able to discover for
themselves. To relieve some of the bottlenecks in the
system, the Nuremberg Parentsʼ Office for School
Success and Participation (NEST) was set up in May
2011 through a project financed by the National
Office for Migration and Refugees for the region of
Nuremberg.
The project is funded from 2010 to 2012 and its
aims are to establish an office where parents may
be given information on the Bavarian school system
and (if needed) assistance when problems arise
between parents and school personnel. Teachers
and school social workers are also meant to avail
themselves of these services.
19

An integral part of the project has been the selection
and training of Parentsʼ Intermediaries, or
“Elternlotsinnen,” with foreign language competencies.
In the first project year, two groups of a total of
22 intermediaries respectively, underwent a 50hour
training programme spread over five months. Of
these, 20 have stayed on to be assigned to partner
schools around the city. With their competencies in
18 languages, it has been possible for them to help
teachers and school social workers in organising
parentteacher evenings, particularly at the start of
the school year. Most importantly, they have been
instrumental in setting up German and integration
courses specially designed for school parents and
held in the schools themselves. This helps the parents
bond more closely with the school and enables
them to view these classrooms as places of
their own learning and not just for their children. The
Elternlotsinnen have been able to organise Parentsʼ
Cafés in partner schools, in which a number of themes
that are important to their childrenʼs school
success and to better relations with teachers and
head teachers, are an integral part of the agenda.
To date, the volunteers are active in nine schools
in the city, participating in parentsʼ evenings at the
beginning of the school year, recruiting participants
for the German and integration courses in schools,
organising Parentsʼ Cafés and assisting when there
are problems between teachers and parents. They
work in multicultural groups of two to three per
school and do not necessarily work only with parents
having the same language competencies as
themselves; the rationale being that the intermediaries
become role models for parents as active
German-speaking participants in civil society, albeit
having migration backgrounds themselves.
One major hurdle within the Bavarian school
system is the streaming of children into various
forms of secondary education. There are 60 different
paths to different forms of a higher educationenabling
degree and many parents, not being
aware of this, often underestimate the range of possibilities
available for their children. Parentsʼ Intermediaries
have access to such information and
offer these as part of the assistance they give during
the Parentsʼ Cafés.
A project involving intergenerational learning has
been started in cooperation with a local counselling
office for non-European migrant women and their
families, called “Games around the World”. In the
first phase of the project, 20 migrant women of various
origins are to show each other their childhood
games, document these and then demonstrate
them to the Parentsʼ Intermediaries. The volunteers
will, in turn, encourage parents in their Parentsʼ
Cafés to augment the documented games with their
own experiences. In the last phase, parents would
be involved in showing schoolchildren their games,
likewise learning the games currently being played
in schoolyards and neighbourhoods from the children.
This will take place during school festivals,
sports lessons, and project days during the school
year. Such activities will be intergenerational learning
in the field of intercultural learning and will
heighten inclusion of migrant parents in formal
schooling.
20

Innsbruck, Austria
MAG. Ursula Klee
SILVER SURFERS: YOUTH SUPPORTS
OLD AGE ON INTERNET
Abstract
In 2005, the Innsbruck City Council initiated a remarkable and sustainable project that turned out to be
quite successful in the long run: ICT courses for the cityʼs “Silver Surfers”, senior citizens who are interested
in learning ICT basics. Thus, teachers of Innsbruckʼs new secondary schools developed a concept and
set out to realise it in autumn 2005 together with their students.
Résumé
En 2005, le Conseil Municipal de la Ville dʼInnsbruck a lancé un projet remarquable et durable qui sʼest
avéré être un succès dans le long terme: les cours de TIC pour « Surfers dʼArgent » de la ville, les citoyens
âgés qui souhaitent apprendre les bases en matière de TIC. Ainsi, les enseignants des nouvelles écoles secondaires
dʼInnsbruck ont développé un concept et se sont mis à le réaliser à lʼautomne 2005 en collaboration
avec leurs élèves.
Abstract
Bereits im Jahr 2005 startete die Stadt Innsbruck mit den „Silberne-Surfer“-Kursen ein innovatives Projekt.
Das Konzept von „Jung hilft Alt im Internet“ hat bis heute nichts von seiner Attraktivität verloren und in
der Zwischenzeit zahlreiche Nachahmer in verschiedenen Städten gefunden. Insgesamt sind es bisher rund
520 ältere Innsbruckerinnen und Innsbrucker, die Grundkompetenzen für die neuen Medien erworben
haben. Das Programm erarbeiten Schülerinnen und Schüler der Innsbrucker Schulen gemeinsam mit ihren
EDV-Lehrerinnen und –Lehrern. Im Mittelpunkt steht natürlich die Weitergabe der technischen Fertigkeiten
der Schülerinnen und Schüler an die Seniorinnen und Senioren, aber auch die Jugendlichen profitieren
nachhaltig in mannigfacher Weise.
More than 500 “silver surfers” so far
courses. The basic idea of ʻyoung meets old in
In the year 2005 the city council of Innsbruck,
cyberspaceʼ is still very attractive and has
i.e. the department responsible for women, been
copied by numerous other communities families
and senior citizens, started an in the country. So far
520 senior citizens have innovative project, the socalled
“silver surfer“ attended 52 courses and acquired
basic ICT
skills there.
Donʼt be afraid of the new media
Many senior citizens have a certain amount of
scepticism when it comes to the use of the new
media. To help them cope with their initial fears, the
city council of Innsbruck designed the “silver surfer“courses.
On three afternoons, the participants
21

had the opportunity to learn basic Internet skills and
how to work with an email client. To prepare their
students for their job, the computer teachers of several
new secondary schools developed a concept,
a target group-oriented trial program, which was
then called the “silver surfer” courses. The idea is
that one student supports, or rather coaches, one
elderly lady or gentleman and helps her/him to surf
the World Wide Web and learn the advantages of e-
mail.
Intergenerational and reciprocal transfer of
knowledge and skills
In the course of this intensive cooperation between
old and young as a team not only is technical
knowledge transferred from the younger to the
older generation; equally important is that, by communicating
and working with each other, experiences
and knowledge is passed on from old to young.
In addition, understanding and curiosity for the
other generation grows and thus, quite often, a dialogue
begins to emerge.
Social contacts
By working together with the new media, teams
are built that continue to exist even after the silver
surfersʼ courses have finished. So there are quite a
few cases, where even long after the course has finished,
the children are still in contact with their former
ʻprotégésʼ and continue to share experiences
and knowledge, and sometimes even familial bonds
have grown.
Volunteering
A very special aspect of the silver surfersʼ project
is that it is completely voluntary work which
means that both teachers and students meet the elderly
people in their spare time. “This intergenerational
cooperation works very well,” says City
Councillor Univ-Prof. Dr. Patrizia Moser.
“I had the opportunity to learn how diverse this
transfer of know-how really is. It is obvious that the
focus of the course is put on the sharing of technical
skills from students to senior citizens, but it is
also amazing to see how the young people may benefit
from this project in a manifold and sustainable
way. The silver surfersʼ project only works well due
to the great commitment of both the students and
the teachers of Innsbruckʼs new secondary schools
and I am very proud that this voluntary intergenerational
cooperation has been such a success story
for six years now.
22

Slovenia
Franci Pusar
VOLUNTEERING:
A SLOVENIAN PERSPECTIVE
Abstract
In Slovenia, when it comes to volunteering, it used to be about inter-communal help. Today it is attacked
by various theorists and practitioners because it is often described as a black economy which avoids our social
tax system. It is not easy to precisely determine the boundary of volunteering and the start of profiteering
without paying taxes. This article seeks to explore these boundaries and discusses the ethics, notions
and values behind volunteering in Slovenia.
Résumé
En Slovénie, le bénévolat, était autrefois surtout une aide intercommunale. Aujourdʼhui, il est attaqué par
divers théoriciens et praticiens, car il est souvent décrit comme une économie souterraine qui contourne
notre système de cotisations sociales. Il nʼest pas facile de déterminer avec précision la limite du bénévolat
et du profit non soumis à dʼimpôt. Cet article cherche à explorer ces limites et questionne lʼéthique, les
notions et les valeurs derrière le bénévolat en Slovénie.
Abstract
Wenn man früher in Slowenien über freiwilliges Engagement sprach, war damit vor allem Nachbarschaftshilfe
gemeint. Heute wird das von verschiedenen Theoretikern und Praktikern kritisiert, weil man darunter
häufig Schattenwirtschaft versteht, also Schwarzarbeit oder Pfusch, wofür keine Steuern bezahlt
werden. Es ist nicht leicht, genau zu bestimmen, wo die Grenze des freiwilligen Engagements und der Beginn
der Schwarzarbeit ist. Dieser Artikel versucht, diese Grenzen auszuloten und diskutiert die Moral und
die Vorstellungen hinter der Freiwilligenarbeit in Slowenien.
”In the past, most Slovenian families maintained
their homes using skills passed onto them; from self
study or skills learnt from voluntary and community
work. I lived in a time when most Slovenian economic
and social pride (e.g. to have and maintain
oneʼs own home) was built on foundations of community
and voluntary work. Today, the typical profile
of the Slovenian householder is different and those
traditional skills are vanishing.
I have obtained my own skills (masonry, thermal
system maintenance, gardening, repairing
wardrobes and chairs etc.), in an informal way,
often by means of intergenerational learning, self
learning and volunteering; often undertaken without
any initially set specific learning goal. It is
true that I am richer for having these skills and
knowledge which I have used specifically several
times in my life.
There is a notion that the more work you do on
a voluntary basis, the more you will be respected
and the better you will be trained to succeed and
progress. I would never have been able to afford to
pay to reach my current level of competence and
knowledge which I have been able to learn through
life as a volunteer in communal help.
For all the knowledge that I have acquired in the
process of volunteering, I donʼt need any help in
consumer-counselling, since Iʼve come to know
ʻvalueʼ very well. Volunteering is often defined as
ʻwork undertaken for no monetary paymentʼ and
therefore isnʼt subject to the same taxation as a
commercial venture that is undertaking similar
work.
Volunteering is often perceived as a black economy
– an economy where labour, rather than
23

money, is exchanged. Those involved in volunteering
can appreciate its worth to individuals and society
as a whole. They can see the value beyond
taxation and wealth creation juxtaposed to the positive
impact and legacy that volunteering can bring.
But can a world driven by profit, taxation and finance
Participating in volunteering can educate the individual
in a world beyond finance and the new individualistic
consumer world we live in, thus such
a consumer cannot be as easily manipulated as
the consumer who hasnʼt gone through such a
process. Is the modern united Europe inclined to
such an enlightened citizen Iʼm afraid, in my opinion,
this is not in the interest of current neo-liberal
political and economic thinking, as this notion is
not in the interests of trade chains and wealth creators,
nor can its virtues be easily expressed on a
spreadsheet.
You quickly find the reason why it is necessary to
fight for the formal acknowledgement of the effects
of volunteering and intergenerational learning by official
policy. This will be the subject of a serious discourse,
because the supporting conditions required
for this action at state level (or in the community) is
certainly a tool of a well-defined philosophical orientation,
and is certainly not a subject supported by
defenders of the absolute free-market and private
property. It is interesting that volunteering in intergenerational
learning is a case of the genuine voluntary
use of oneʼs knowledge and skills for the
benefit of another or the community. So, what is the
problem The perceived problem is that the benefit
is too equally dispersed among all the participants,
that it does not produce excessive and
exaggerated outflow of benefits to a privileged individual.
However, volunteering is the cornerstone of democracy
in terms of participation of members of the
Democratic Opposition of Slovenia (DEMOS) in the
management of its political and economic institutions.
Can volunteering be in the interests of privileged
individuals, multinationals or finance Only if volunteering
serves in obtaining benefits for these privileged
groups, for example, if a mode of volunteering
increases the formation of need and material want
which are then satisfied by the material products or
services under the control of the elite. Naturally, the
means, journey and ends of volunteering often differ,
so it is a permanent struggle in and between these
political and socio-economic spheres.
Let me introduce another field of volunteering in
Slovenia in which I have participated which is also
a battlefield between the private interests of capital
and the community-concept approach to life. I shall
now talk about volunteering in groups of society
where the cause for integration and mutual learning
of individuals is to overcome addiction to drugs, alcohol
and gambling etc.
I worked in a club for recovering alcoholics or
Society for Healthy Living since June 1 st , 1995. On
January 1 st , 1998, I took over the task of a laic therapist
(unqualified therapist) and held it voluntarily
until January 2009. The task of a laic therapist is to
maintain the level of expertise and the implementation
of grouptherapy. Our group consisted of 15
recovering addicts and 10 additional people: the
partners and/or other support for addicts. How can
the success of this work be measured Overall, the
main indicator is the number of years individuals
have abstained from using addictive substances or
gambling.
The strategy of the group is based on models
used in intergenerational learning in terms of sharing
experience and skills. The content of the sessions
is mainly learning how to live with their
addictions: to cope through spending each day,
week, month and year. The group learnt from
each other through storytelling as different generations
do. Once a week, the group told stories
from their own lives. Particular attention is given
to the ability of describing emotional states, searching
for beliefs and reasons that underpin oneʼs
happiness or distress. Importantly, we emphasise
the ability to listen and to compare the stories
heard to oneʼs own experience. All the work in the
club is voluntary. We all think that we can contribute
by offering experiences and potential solutions,
which are then utilised as best we can. This
is important as without self realisation then often,
there is no gain.
In Slovenia, there are many groups in which
people voluntarily provide support to individuals
on the journey away from harmful addiction and
towards a healthy lifestyle. Economically speaking,
no one has actually calculated the values of
this yet, neither an individual nor an institution,
which is permanently funded from public money.
This of course raises curiosity and the question:
what is the public interest Perhaps there is no
exact calculation that determines the worth of volunteering,
however, its real value is determined
from the testimonies of those who have participated
and benefitted from it.
24

Campaign for Learning,
United Kingdom
Juliette Collier
INTERGENERATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
IN A FAMILY LEARNING PROJECT
Abstract
National learning charity, the Campaign for Learning, has launched a new ʻDigital Familiesʼ family learning
project in partnership with the E-Learning Foundation, funded by the Nominet Trust, to engage over
14,000 families UK across England in intergenerational learning. This project engaged not only parents but
also grandparents and from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds which allowed for the observation
of not only reciprocal family learning across two or three generations but also identified a marked
shift in cultural interaction between these generations.
Résumé
Organisme de bienfaisance national, Campaign For Learning a lancé un nouveau projet dʼapprentissage
familial «Familles numériques» en partenariat avec la Fondation du E-Learning, financé par le Fond Nominet,
pour engager plus de 14.000 familles à travers lʼAngleterre en apprentissage intergénérationnel. Ce projet
concernait non seulement des parents mais aussi des grands-parents, représentant un large éventail de
milieux ethniques et culturels, ce qui a permis non seulement dʼobserver un apprentissage familial réciproque
transversal à deux ou trois générations, mais aussi dʼidentifier un changement marqué dans lʼinteraction
culturelle entre ces générations.
Abstract
„Digitale Familien“ heißt das Projekt, an dem sich über 14.000 Familien in ganz England mit intergenerationalem
Lernen beschäftigten und das von der nationalen Wohltätigkeitsorganisation, Aktion fürs Lernen
(Campaign for Learning) initiiert wurde. Die vom Nominet Trust finanzierte E-Learning-Stiftung hat dieses
Projekt als Partner mitgetragen, an dem nicht nur Eltern, sondern auch Großeltern mit unterschiedlichsten
ethnischen und kulturellen Hintergründen beteiligt waren. Das Ergebnis belegte eindrucksvoll, dass gegenseitiges
und interkulturelles Lernen der Generationen voneinander möglich ist.
The new programme builds on the success of
the Campaign for Learningʼs ʻDads in Demandʼ programme,
which successfully worked with fathers
and male carers to make animated films with their
children. The project uses a range of dynamic software
and on-line resources to stimulate and support
learning providing a catalyst for other family
members to learn together. Granddads are particularly
keen to actively engage in their grandchildrenʼs
learning and education. A Solihull grandad
commented: “The animation workshop was a natural
extension to our normal engagement with our
grandaughter.”
Observations have shown that the way grandads
and dads interact with their child/grandchild is often
very different but equally beneficial, providing a
great opportunity to model and compare different
learning behaviour and ways of working together.
One grandad noted: “I tend to sit back and support
my grandsonʼs learning, whereas his dad prefers to
get fully involved and sometimes lead.”
In partnership with the Surma Community Centre
in Camden, the Campaign for Learning (CfL) delivered
a programme during the Bengali Weekend
School sessions. Whilst the majority of male carers
255

were dads, there were again a number of granddads
supporting their grandchildren. Mukidur, Director
of the Bengali Workersʼ Association,
observed: “I have found that my father is a lot more
hands-on with my children that he was with me, due
to the change in culture [since then.] Grandparents
who may have been unapproachable when we
were children are now enjoying time and interacting
with their grandchildren.”
The Digital Families programme offers the opportunity
for the children, parents and grandparents
to exchange skills and expertise. At the
Surma Community Centre, grandchildren were
able to support their grandads with English and
using computers, while the grandads were able to
use their extensive knowledge of Bengali Independence
Day to influence their animations. A similar
story can be found in Solihull, where
grandads provided practical support to the grandchildren
on how the animation could work e.g.
making objects fly or move.
Many schools have noted an increase in grandparents
collecting their grandchildren from school,
and national statistics indicate that grandparents
are taking a greater role in childcare. However,
most family learning experiences tend to be aimed
at parents without any reference to the possible involvement
of grandparents. Grandparents in many
cases can offer time, commitment and a very different
learning experience for their grandchildren.
Schools need to exploit this opportunity and use it
effectively.
To see one of the animations created through the
project – ʻThe computer swallowed Grandpaʼ – visit
www.youtube.com/watchv=YvNGXCq6Fzg
Andy Giles National Project Manager: Digital Inclusion
Campaign for Learning agiles@cflearning.org.uk
About the Campaign for Learning
The Campaign for Learning is an independent
UK-based charity working for a society where learning
is at the heart of social inclusion. It runs national
awareness, leads projects and practitioner
networks, conducts research and examines the impact
of policy on learning and learners. For more
information visit www.campaignforlearning.org.uk
Nominet Trust Digital Families Programme:
Digital Families is a dynamic new programme to engage
and excite families in learning through new
media and digital technology, supported by the Nominet
Trust. The programme will be underpinned by
training for Digital Champions to provide on-going
local support. The project will also deliver strategic
ICT support to schools and give families access to
the resources they need at home to help their children
learn effectively. The new training and resources
will rolled out across England via national
networks including the National Family Learning Network,
to enable anyone working with families to create
their own Digital Families programme. The work
will be delivered by the Campaign for Learning in an
exciting new partnership with the E-Learning Foundation.
For more information, contact Andy Giles on
the email address above.
26

Second conference of the European Network for Intergenerational Learning
‘Intergenerational Learning:
Towards Active Aging
and Intergenerational Solidarity’
Date: 24-26 October, 2012
Location: Nuremberg, Germany
Organiser: ENIL-European Network for Intergenerational Learning
Who should attend: Educators, practitioners, policy makers, organisations and individuals from
across Europe
To find out more and to register visit: www.enilnet.eu
Deadline for registration at the conference: 1 October 2012
The second ENIL conference will consider the theme of ‘Intergenerational Learning; Towards Active
Aging and Intergenerational Solidarity’. A range of presentations and workshops will explore
the contribution of intergenerational approaches and methods to active aging and intergenerational
solidarity. Thematic workshops will look at how policy and practice can support learning,
active aging and intergenerational solidarity in the education, employment and social sector.
For a full programme and to register please visit: www.enilnet.eu
Delegates may be able to apply for funding from their national agency for travel and subsistence
costs.
Please note: The deadline for funding applications for some LLP National Agencies is 29 th April
2012.
Contact:
Julia Wright, ENIL Communications Manager, email: jwright@cflearning.org.uk tel: +44 7912
084523 (for questions regarding registration and funding)
Francoise Grudler, Network Manager, email: f.grudler@epff.eu tel: +33 491 37 33 24 (for questions
regarding contributions to the conference)
Marissa Pablo-Dürr, Conference Coordinator, marissa.pablo-duerr@stadt.nuernberg.de (for questions
regarding local arrangements, transfer to/from airport, etc.)
27

NORWAY
Vox, Norwegian Agency
for Lifelong Learning
AUSTRIA Pädagogische
Hochschule Tirol, PHT
BELGIUM
BULGARIA
CYPRUS
CZECH REPUBLIC
DENMARK
FINLAND
EAEA
European Association
for the Education Adults
ECET - European Centre
for Education and Training
THE CYPRUS
ADULT
EDUCATION
ASSOCIATION
The Institute of Applied Language
Studies, University of West Bohemia
Skole og Forældre
(Danish National Parents Association)
DaisyLadies ry
"Immigrant
Women
Association"
FRANCE
GERMANY
CRI. LITERACY RESOURCE
CENTRE OF THE REGION
PROVENCE
ALPES-CÔTE D'AZUR
Pedagogical Institute
and School Psychology
of the City of Nuremberg
National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA)
IRELAND
ITALY
LITHUANIA
MALTA
ESPACE PEDAGOGIE
FORMATION FRANCE
ANP associazione nazionale dirigenti
e alte professionalità della scuola
SOROS INTERNATIONAL HOUSE (SIH)
Foundation for Educational Services
POLAND
ROMANIA
SLOVENIA
SPAIN
UNITED
KINGDOMS
Akademia Humanistyczno
Ekonomiczna w Lodzi / University
of Humanities and Economics in Lodz
Romanian Institute
for Adult Education (IREA)
EuroEd Foundation
The Association of Children
and Youth Local Council Sibiu
Ljudska univerza Celje
SERVICIO DE JUVENTUD
AYUNTAMIENTO DE CUENCA
Hull City Council
Skills and Employability
Adult Education Service
Campaign
for Learning