Abstract:

This article considers the educational challenges that Europe has faced over the past decade, research findings, and project experience in the field of adult education (especially senior education), in the context of ageing European societies.

The generation of seniors constitutes a storehouse of knowledge, a reservoir of historical memory, and a repository of elements of local cultural heritage that shape the architecture of Europe’s cultural heritage landscape. Such individuals, who are professionally inactive, often remain hidden in the shadow of social life. They do not have opportunities to share their knowledge, experience, and skills with the younger generation. EU senior policy and educational policy, as well as the policies of Member States, have determined new fields of mobilisation and care for this social group in recent years.

The author analyses modern educational priorities of European Commission for the years 2024-2029, as well as the guidelines of the Erasmus+ programme, in the context of social challenges, senior policy, and key competences. This study also discusses the assumptions, conclusions, and results derived from Erasmus+ projects, entitled “COSTAS” (Competent Staff for Adult Learners and Seniors) and “acordEU” (Adult Cooperation for European Eco-Synergy). These projects were implemented in partnership between Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, and Italy in the years 2024-2025.

New educational and training approaches developed through international collaboration have contributed to redefining the term of European citizenship and promoting social inclusion in the context of shaping European identity within adult education. They encouraged target groups to look at the functioning of local communities and European society, as well as their own role in these processes, from a new perspective.

The research question concerns identifying proven good practice and studying the willingness of local communities (including local NGOs) to mobilise the seniors in their daily lives, as well as seniors’ willingness to step beyond their comfort zone and engage in active participation.

The research methods implemented in the research include the analysis of existing data, participant observation, interviews, surveys, and project-based research.
The conclusions drawn from the study and project activities indicate the necessity of: updating and intensifying the education of the staff (coaches working with adults, particularly seniors); implementing the results of projects and good practice (in terms of content, methods and forms), as well as international perspective, into daily educational work; building spaces for seniors’ direct cooperation and mobilisation within local communities (and, with the use of modern technology, also at the international level) and creating the synergy resulting from a multipronged approach to the issue of the senior policy implemented “at the core”.

Keywords:

European educational projects, adult education, senior policy, key competences, EC educational priorities 2024-2029.