Learning processes between the generations offer opportunities for the social inclusion of elderly people and the closing of the gap between young and old, which is becoming ever wider in today’s society. Senior who have completed their working lives run a certain risk of what psychologists call “bore-out”: the feeling of no longer being needed that can suddenly take over and negatively influence one’s own actions and thoughts.
These two aspects inspired the consortium of AGE:WISE to develop a project aimed at seniors in order to empower them to engage in intergenerational learning settings (IGL) – as a teacher.
The project’s name is AGE: WISE Across Generations at Eye Level: Ways to Integrate Seniors by Education. It is an Erasmus+ project within the framework of the Strategic Partnerships for Adult Education, starting in October 2020 and ending in September 2022.
Five European partners (Austria, Germany, Poland, Italy and Portugal) aim to equip senior citizens with two-level skills:
1) to recognise their valuable skills and knowledge and thus restore their self-confidence outside working life, and
2) to acquire training skills that will enable them to move into the role of teacher and pass on their valuable knowledge to young people.