Abstract:

This communication aims to disseminate the research carried out in the (H)OLD ON Project - Civic participation of older adults in Senior Universities and in the local community. This is a participatory education and research project, implemented in Senior Universities (SU) in the northeast of Trás-os-Montes, Portugal. A culture of education and lifelong learning, centered on the location and with an impact on the community, values active citizenship in various situations, and in this specific case, in the contexts of non-formal education in the US. It is worth mentioning the project's intention to start with the mobilization of participatory dynamics in the various moments of its realization. Leaders play an important role in this decision-making process and in creating opportunities for active and participatory citizenship. It is possible to identify different situations in the Portuguese reality, depending on the origin and management of the US, verifying that in some cases, the leader is, at the same time, manager-teacher-student. It is interesting to reflect on the relationship between the effects of leadership decisions and the consolidation of the role of older adults in education and civic participation processes. The project asks how the civic participation of older adults in the SU can be a way of maintaining the awareness of an active citizenship, which continues to contribute to social dynamics, despite no longer being part of a professional activity. One of the objectives recommended by the project is to analyze the effects of participation, on the participants and on the community, taking into account the different dynamics of implementation. Using a qualitative methodology for data analysis, the investigation included, in addition to other techniques, interviews with SU educators to assess their perception of the students' potential for participation and, if possible, involve them. in the project and also to the leaders of the SU, to assess the impact of the project on the institution and on the people involved, as well as on the communities in which they operate. The evaluation of the project's impact on the community was considered in the planning process of the community intervention and took into account the particularities of specific projects developed in each of the SUs. It should be noted that participation in the project was conditioned by the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic on the functioning of the institutions. As a result, it is worth mentioning the recognition of the relevance of the project, by the leaders of the SU and by the participants. Despite the support of the leaders for the project, it is necessary to continue to promote initiatives of this nature, which promote the effective civic participation of older adults in the community, in educational processes and in personal and social development.

Keywords:

Lifelong education, civic participation in the community, older adults, Leadership at Senior Universities.