Transnational mobility of senior trainers

The activity was fully implemented as outlined in the project grant application. The transnational mobility involved 12 trainers working with senior adults, with 6 participants from each partner organization. The activity took place on October 10-15, 2023, in Bad Freienwalde, following a structured agenda that facilitated team integration, mutual learning, and collaborative development of the educational script "EcoLOGIKA."

October 10, 2023:

  • Organizational meeting - Presentation of the mobility schedule and objectives.
  • Team integration - Joint activities to build connections between the Polish and German teams.
  • Presentation by the host organization - Overview of the work of Verein zur Förderung von Beschäftigung u. Qualifizierung Bad Frw. e.V., with a focus on activities that support senior and socially excluded adults and enhance their basic skills.
  • Presentation by the sending organization - Introduction to the work of Fundacja Inthinknity, highlighting initiatives for senior engagement and improving essential skills.
  • Project overview - Discussion of project goals and challenges, particularly concerning the intellectual output—a script for educators working with adults with low basic skills, "EcoLOGIKA."
  • Educational Presentation - Trainers from Fundacja Inthinknity presented methodologies for adult mathematics education, highlighting differences from youth education.
  • Daily evaluation - Reflection on the day's activities.

October 11-14, 2023:

During these days, the focus was on developing the "EcoLOGIKA" script, a practical manual of best practices, through various collaborative activities:

  • Preparing an analysis of key mathematical and foundational competencies for senior adults,
  • Conducting interviews with adult learners to identify gaps in basic mathematical knowledge,
  • Meetings with project beneficiaries,
  • Brainstorming ideas and drafting outlines for the 12 workshop scenarios,
  • Visiting senior care facilities,
  • Debates on senior needs,
  • Supervisory sessions for trainers,
  • Daily group evaluations.

October 15, 2023:

The final day involved summarizing the work on the "EcoLOGIKA" script:

  • Division of responsibilities for content development and editing,
  • Evaluation of the mobility experience,
  • Discussions on scaling the 12 workshop scenarios to local activities,
  • Resource analysis and scheduling for further work.

This day also saw the final assignment of responsibilities between partners and concluded with evaluations of the mobility program, internal certificate presentations, and discussions on future directions.

Target group description:

The target group comprised 12 senior trainers as specified in the project application:

  • 6 staff members from Fundacja Inthinknity (4 women and 2 men: Anna Łaźniewska-Kostrzewa, Joanna Kuliś, Łukasz Ostrowski, Marta Łoboda, Michał Żadkowski, Monika Formańska-Żadkowska)
  • 6 staff from Verein zur Förderung von Beschäftigung u. Qualifizierung Bad Frw. e.V. (4 women and 2 men: Dieter Bosse, Doreen Haase, Laura Cristin Ebel, Martin Luft, Sabine Baarsch, Silvana Maziar)

All participants work in adult education, focusing on basic mathematical and digital skills for seniors. The aim was to initiate work on the script (the project's intellectual output) and facilitate experience exchange in adult education, especially for seniors with basic mathematical skill needs.

Achievement of project objectives:

This activity significantly contributed to achieving the project's goals as defined in the grant application, particularly through the mobility experience for the 12 trainers:

  • Enhancement of professional skills - Trainers improved their methodological competencies in organizing math-focused educational programs to help adults, especially seniors, acquire basic skills.
  • Development of skills in organizing ecological education programs - Trainers strengthened their abilities in creating educational programs where foundational math skills were integrated with ecological topics, particularly for senior participants.
  • Insight into the real needs of adults with low basic skills in the partner country - Meetings with adult participants provided insights into the specific educational needs of seniors in the partner country.
  • Increased motivation for further work on the script - Assigning tasks and assessing potential boosted the trainers' enthusiasm for continuing with script development.
  • Language skill enhancement - Working in an international team enabled trainers to achieve a C-level proficiency in English.
  • Cultural skill development - Cross-cultural collaboration fostered growth in trainers' cultural competencies.

As proof of activity completion, attendance records and signed internal certificates by trainers are included in this report (Europass Mobility documents will be issued post-project).

Development of the ‘EcoLOGICS’ script

The content of the "EcoLOGICZNI" script was divided into three main sections to provide comprehensive support for educators working with adults who have low mathematical and numeracy skills while introducing topics related to ecological awareness.

The introduction opens with insights from an analysis conducted by project partners, examining the level of basic mathematical skills among adult learners. This section establishes a context for the challenges seniors face in mathematics and highlights the importance of support to help them develop these skills.

The main content section includes 12 detailed workshop scenarios that combine mathematical topics with environmental themes, offering educators practical tools for working with adults with low numeracy skills. Each scenario is designed to reflect participants' daily lives, enhancing their understanding of math through an environmental lens. Examples include:

  • Scenario 1: "Is Water Slipping Through Your Fingers?" – focusing on unit conversions, volume calculations, and basic arithmetic.
  • Scenario 2: "Can You Lower Your Bills?" – covering percentage calculations and arithmetic skills.
  • Scenario 3: "Can You Reduce the Waste You Produce?" – focusing on estimation, volume, and percentages.
  • Scenario 4: "Do You Know the Cost of Smog?" – emphasizing basic arithmetic, comparing values, and percentages.
  • Scenario 5: "Does Going Vegetarian Pay Off?" – covering distinctions between percentage points and percentages, unit conversions, and currency conversions.
  • Scenario 6: "Can You Live Without Plastic?" – focusing on area, unit conversions, and volume calculations.
  • Scenario 7: "Do You Know How Much Clean Air Weighs?" – covering volume, mass, density calculations, and unit conversions.
  • Scenario 8: "Do You Know How to Make Your Own Compost?" – focusing on volume calculations, proportions, and percentages.
  • Scenario 9: "How Quickly Does It Heat Up?" – covering averages, median, mode, and basic statistical parameters.
  • Scenario 10: "What's More Likely in Nature?" – focusing on basic probability.
  • Scenario 11: "A drop in the ocean… water resources worldwide? – through a variety of practical tasks, participants learn about the current state of the world’s water resources and the consequences of their mismanagement.
  • Scenario 12: "Can viruses be counted?" – focusing on the concept of power, which is central to modelling the spread of viruses.

The summary section presents key findings from the scaling process, featuring insights from workshops with 100 senior participants. It provides educators with recommendations for effectively tailoring content to adult learners' needs and highlights feedback from seniors regarding the practical application of the knowledge gained.

Target group description and involvement

The development of the "EcoLOGICZNI" script involved a team of skilled professionals from the applicant and transnational partner organizations. From the applicant organization, six educators participated: three trainers specializing in math education, two in digital skills, and one expert in practical economics. All team members had extensive experience working with seniors, especially in developing basic skills, enabling them to tailor the script's content to adults with limited numeracy skills. Their input ensured that the script not only delivered essential knowledge but also helped seniors understand practical applications of math in daily life, sparking interest in ecological topics.

On the partner organization's side, six educators specializing in ecological education contributed to the script. These educators had substantial experience in eco-focused projects in settings like gardens, woodshops, and community spaces, bringing valuable, practical examples to the script on sustainable living. Their role was to enrich the content with ecology-related topics and support the applicant team in merging mathematical knowledge with ecological awareness. Through this collaboration, the "EcoLOGICZNI" script became a well-rounded educational resource for adult educators, aiding in the development of mathematical skills while fostering pro-environmental attitudes.

The Scripts

Open-licensed publications that will help in non-formal youth education.

English

This script is in English and in a versatile PDF format.

Download

Deutsch

Dieses Skript ist in Englisch und in einem vielseitigen PDF-Format.

Herunterladen

Polski

Ten skrypt jest w języku polskim i formacie PDF.

Pobierz

EcoLOGICALS - transnational mobility of seniors

(1st phase of script scaling)

A total of 16 seniors participated in this transnational mobility—eight adults with limited basic mathematical skills from each partner organization. The activity was carried out between December 12 and December 17, 2023, in Bad Freienwalde, Germany, over a six-day period.

December 12, 2023:

  • Opening lecture by Silvana Maziar, the project coordinator from Verein zur Förderung von Beschäftigung u. Qualifizierung Bad Freienwalde, presenting the mobility objectives and an overview of the association's activities.
  • Opening lecture by Marta Łoboda, the project coordinator from Fundacja Inthinknity, introducing the project script and the foundation's activities.
  • Integration exercises to connect Polish and German seniors, including ice-breakers, quizzes, and teamwork activities.
  • Pre-assessment tests on basic skills, focusing on the 12 scenarios from the script.
  • Lecture on essential skills in seniors' daily lives, followed by a discussion on their importance.
  • Site visit to partner organization facilities where activities would be held (furniture shop, workshop, garden, and park).
  • Daily evaluation.

December 13, 2023:

The day began with pair exercises as a warm-up. Then, participants engaged in brainstorming on "how I use math in everyday life." A presentation followed on the script (the project's intellectual output), addressing the issue of low numeracy skills among older adults. A lecture on "sustainability for seniors" set the stage for the group workshops, which included:

  • "Is Water Slipping Through Your Fingers?" – focusing on unit conversion, volume calculations, and basic math skills.
  • "Can You Lower Your Bills?" – covering percentage calculations and arithmetic skills. The day concluded with an evaluation.

December 14, 2023:

A warm-up activity featured a city game in Bad Freienwalde with a math theme, followed by task evaluations and discussions. Group workshops included:

  • "Can You Reduce the Waste You Produce?" – addressing estimation, volume calculations, and percentages.
  • "Do You Know the Cost of Smog?" – focusing on arithmetic, value comparisons, estimation, and percentages. A daily assessment was conducted using a quiz, ending with an evening of German cultural activities.

December 15, 2023:

Participants visited the Museum of Technology in Berlin for a workshop, followed by a two-hour guided tour of Berlin. In the afternoon, group workshops included:

  • "Does Going Vegetarian Pay Off?" – covering calculations, understanding percentage points, and currency conversion.
  • "Can You Live Without Plastic?" – focusing on area and volume calculations and unit conversions. The day ended with a memory game focused on math skills.

December 16 and 17, 2023:

The final two days involved practical group workshops, working through additional scenarios from the script, with daily evaluations and a final assessment of learning outcomes to conclude the mobility.

Description of the target group

The international mobility took place in mid-December 2023, targeting seniors with limited basic mathematical skills. Sixteen seniors—eight from each country, all aged 60+—participated in the program. The Polish participants included Barbara Ebertowska, Danuta Rembielińska, Hanna Kuroch, Joanna Szuleta, Julia Gałek, Maria Koko, Piotr Rembieliński, and Raisa Deklewa, while the German group included Angelika Kühn, Bärbel Sand, Dagmar Bergmann, Eveline Quast, Elke Hädicke, Marion Brunnert, Monika Herzberg, and Simone Köpke-Stehle. Four project staff, two from each organization, accompanied the seniors.

The mobility aimed to test and implement the educational content developed in the project's script, which included mathematical and essential life skills content for seniors. This provided participants with opportunities to expand their mathematical skills and engage in hands-on activities that fostered new skills and deepened their understanding of partner country cultures. The international exchange allowed Polish and German seniors to gain insights into mathematical and cultural aspects of everyday life in each other's countries.

Due to the added appeal of cross-cultural holiday traditions, the mobility was moved from the originally scheduled January 2024 to December 2023.

The mobility played a key role in achieving the "EcoLOGIKA" project objectives by providing the first opportunity to field-test sections of the developed "EcoLOGICZNI" script. Through workshops, seniors were introduced to the educational content of the script, which enabled an assessment of its usability, educational quality, and relevance to the target audience.

Workshops also served as a verification process, evaluating the clarity and usefulness of the content for participants, as well as its accessibility for older adults. Analysis of pre- and post-test results allowed assessment of knowledge gains in core math competencies and ecological awareness, aligning with project objectives. The feedback gathered provided essential insights to tailor the material further to seniors' needs, thereby enhancing its quality.

Additionally, the mobility advanced the goal of developing participants' core competencies in mathematics and ecological awareness. The workshops equipped seniors with foundational math concepts and ecological topics, supporting skills essential for everyday life. This made the mobility an effective tool for reaching the educational goals of the project and enhancing the practical value of the "EcoLOGICZNI" script.

Achieved results of the activity

Through participation in the mobility, the 16 seniors gained knowledge and skills in:

  • core mathematical competencies, including concepts such as area, volume, scale, measurement units, and averages;
  • arithmetic skills, with improved proficiency in performing calculations with whole numbers and fractions;
  • understanding the sequence of operations;
  • sustainable development concepts, reinforced through practical workshops utilizing recycled materials;
  • critical thinking skills, fostered through debates, group work, and participation in the international project;
  • basic language skills in English, supported by the international nature of the activity;
  • cultural awareness, enhanced by cross-cultural interaction;
  • digital skills, developed through photo documentation and preparation of a presentation on the mobility experience.

EcoLOGICAL - workshop for seniors

(2nd stage of script scaling)

The second phase of testing the educational offer for adults with low basic math skills involved a series of local workshops attended by 100 seniors, 50 from each partner country. These workshops, conducted from January to June 2024, served as the final test for the "EcoLOGICZNI" script, allowing assessment of its educational effectiveness and supporting the development of participants' foundational math skills.

Each partner country organized a series of 10 three-hour workshops, following scenarios from the "EcoLOGICZNI" publication. Every workshop had a structured format, beginning with a theoretical introduction to a specific mathematical concept, such as understanding the median, followed by hands-on exercises. These exercises were rooted in real-life environmental issues. For instance, participants calculated the amount of water "wasted" by not turning off the tap while brushing their teeth, then compared it to the volume of water in the body, practicing percentage calculations, arithmetic, and unit conversions. Each workshop concluded with a summary and a survey, which provided data for refining the content.

The workshop topics, aligned with the script, included:

  • "Is Water Slipping Through Your Fingers?" (unit conversions, volume),
  • "Can You Lower Your Bills?" (percentage calculations),
  • "Can You Reduce the Waste You Produce?" (estimation, volume, percentages),
  • "Do You Know the Cost of Smog?" (arithmetic, value comparison, estimation, percentages),
  • "Does Going Vegetarian Pay Off?" (distinguishing percentage points from percentages, unit conversion),
  • "Can You Live Without Plastic?" (area calculation, unit conversion, volume),
  • "Do You Know How Much Clean Air Weighs?" (volume, mass, density),
  • "Do You Know How to Make Your Own Compost?" (volume, proportions, percentages),
  • "How Quickly Does It Heat Up?" (statistical parameters),
  • "What's More Likely in Nature?",
  • "Do You Know the Cost of Your CO₂ Emissions?",
  • "Can You Save Energy?"

The workshops enabled participants to develop fundamental mathematical skills, which was one of the main goals of the project.

Description of the target group

The activities involved 100 seniors—50 participants from Gdynia and the Wejherowo district, and 50 from Bad Freienwalde. Recruitment took place at the beginning of January 2024, based on criteria designed to attract seniors with low basic math skills and limited knowledge of ecology and sustainable development.

Participants were required to have basic or secondary education or report low foundational math skills and challenges with arithmetic. Preference was given to individuals with disabilities, rural backgrounds, or low income or single-household status, supporting the project's focus on inclusion and diversity. Most recruited participants were women, reflecting the general demographics of regular program attendees at the partner organizations.

The selected seniors were divided into 10-person groups to participate in the 12-workshop series, totaling 36 hours of educational support per person. Each participant had the chance to enhance their math skills and expand their understanding of ecology and sustainable living, addressing basic competencies essential for everyday life.

This activity significantly contributed to developing the final version of the "EcoLOGICZNI" script, resulting in a publication that meets beneficiaries' real needs while being engaging and educationally effective. The re-scaling process, conducted with a large group of seniors, enabled the collection of extensive, reliable data, ensuring the credibility of conclusions drawn from the analysis.

At the end of each workshop, seniors completed detailed surveys, which provided essential feedback on the content and its potential for adjustment. The feedback and suggestions gathered allowed for modifications that made the script better suited to the target group. This process ultimately produced a publication with the potential to reach and positively impact actual beneficiaries, enhancing their knowledge and skills.

After the workshops concluded, teams from Poland and Germany reconvened virtually to discuss the scaling results. Based on shared analyses and insights, additional improvements were made to the "EcoLOGICZNI" script, aligning it more closely with the educational needs of seniors and increasing its overall teaching effectiveness. This activity played a vital role in achieving project objectives, particularly in creating a credible, effective, and necessary educational tool.

Achieved Results of the Activity

As a result of participating in the workshops, the 100 seniors developed knowledge and skills in several areas:

  • basic math competencies, including concepts such as area, volume, scale, units of measurement, and averages,
  • arithmetic skills, with improved proficiency in calculations with whole numbers and fractions,
  • understanding the order of operations in math,
  • knowledge of sustainable practices through hands-on workshops using recycled materials,
  • critical thinking, fostered through debates, group work, and participation in an international project,
  • foundational English skills, acquired through the project's international context,
  • cultural awareness, broadened by the international project experience,
  • digital skills, developed through photo documentation and presentation preparation.

These competencies were verified using pre- and post-workshop surveys. In recognition of their accomplishments, participants received internal certificates detailing the knowledge and skills they acquired.

Gallery

A couple of photos showing the activities during our mobility.