European Association for the Education of Adults - EAEA

Join us for the VOICES Project webinar "Contemporary Witnesses | On Oral History, Counter Archives and Adult Learning" and explore how personal testimonies, oral histories, and lived experiences can reshape the way we understand and communicate history.

🗓️ 25 June 2026
⏰ 10:00–11:30 CET
💻 Online
🔗 Register here: https://forms.gle/2P5WVpGetSypgdDYA

This webinar will bring together experts from academia, research, and adult education to discuss how oral history methodologies and counter-archives can challenge dominant narratives and create more inclusive understandings of Europe's past and present.

💡 Together, we will explore:
🔹 Oral history as a tool for language learning and adult education
🔹 The role of contemporary witnesses and migrant narratives in preserving memory
🔹 How counter-archives question traditional historical knowledge
🔹 Inclusive approaches to literacy, memory, and intergenerational learning
🔹 Practical ways to communicate these topics in Adult Education settings across Europe

Be part of the conversation on memory, migration, education, and democratic participation.



AONTAS VHS Wien Dafni Kek

Contemporary witnesses Webinar “Contemporary Witnesses| On Oral History, Counter Archives and Adult Learning” Date: 25.6.2026 | 10:00-11:30 CET Join us in this webinar as we explore how historical knowledge can be structured, communicated, and critically engaged with in the context of Adult Education as a powerful for...

How can learning communities build resilience in times of crisis?

This question guided the panel discussion at the EAEA Annual Conference, which concluded yesterday. The panelists emphasised that resilience is not only about individuals, but about communities having the resources, structures and support to act together. 🤝

Insights from the panel:

🔹“We should not use resilience as political convenient word to shift the responsibility of crises and structural changes. We should see it as an opportunity to make changes on systematic level.”
Oleg Smirnov, Director of DVV International Ukraine

🔹“Adult education can make communities stronger when institutions are weaker. Education and knowledge are a key to voting properly and making better decisions who is representing us.” Benedetta Perego, human rights lawyer

🔹“For me, community resilience means they have enough resources, space to learn, skills, networks and ability act together.” Musa Kirkar, President of CEIPES ETS

🔹“Adult education is resilience education. Don’t wait for the crisis, prepare for the crisis. Don’t wait for resilience, but build the resilience.” Irena Lipowicz, Professor at Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University

The conference workshops complemented the discussion with practical insights on how to build resilience in communities. They reminded us that resilience is a dynamic concept, defined in each context. Hope is also important for resilience.

🙏 Thank you to all participants and our wonderful host Stowarzyszenie Trenerskie Organizacji Pozarządowych! We look forward to meeting you again next year on 1–2 June 2027 in London at the EAEA Annual Events.

EAEA’s Annual Conference on Resilience and Community-Building has kicked off!

“The tree survives not because the trunk is hard, but because the roots are alive and connected.“

Prof. Alicja Gałązka (University of Silesia) emphasised this message in her keynote speech on resilient communities.

In a time marked by uncertainty and social fragmentation, she highlighted how resilience is not about facing challenges alone, but about the relationships, environments, and communities that allow strength to emerge.

Gałązka underlined the importance of supportive connections, dialogue, and learning spaces where people can be their authentic selves, adapt, reflect, and grow together. She also stressed that resilience must be understood in context, taking into account inequality, access to resources, and social justice.

Stowarzyszenie Trenerskie Organizacji Pozarządowych

🏆 The EAEA Grundtvig Award 2026 winners have been announced!

At the award ceremony in Warsaw yesterday, EAEA recognised two outstanding projects that demonstrate how adult education builds resilience and strengthens communities.

This year’s winners are:

🔹 National category: Izmir Citizens’ Assembly for Climate (Yuva Association, Türkiye) – bringing together citizens to learn, discuss, and contribute to climate policy through adult learning and participatory democracy

🔹 Transnational category: VOLUGRAM (Tartu Vocational College, Estonia and partners) – promoting volunteering as a recognised learning pathway and strengthening community engagement across European regions

👉 Read more about the winners: https://eaea.org/2026/06/09/eaea-grundtvig-award-highlights-volunteering-and-citizens-assemblies-as-drivers-of-resilience-and-community-building/

Congratulations to the winners, and thank you to all applicants for their inspiring work!

Yuva Derneği
Tartu Vocational College
VOCO Tartu Rakenduslik Kolledž
Stowarzyszenie Trenerskie Organizacji Pozarządowych

💬 Today’s EAEA General Assembly brought forward a range of ideas and shared priorities.

During the EAEA strategy discussions, EAEA members reflected on priorities for the coming years, emphasising collaboration, innovation, and strong links between policy, research, and practice.

Participants suggested that EAEA can:

📍Connect advocacy and capacity building by helping members better understand EU processes
📍Bridge research and practice and support knowledge-sharing across organisations and countries
📍Shape narratives about adult education and raise its visibility
📍Create new opportunities for exchange and collaboration among members

The discussions highlighted the importance of working together as a strong and connected European community. Thank you to all participants for the active contributions!

🙌The EAEA General Assembly has just kicked off in Warsaw!

The Assembly is a key moment to reflect on our shared work, exchange perspectives on EAEA’s new strategy, and look ahead to the future of adult learning and education.

“There are many challenges but also many opportunities for adult educators in Europe,” said EAEA President Lauri Tuomi in his welcoming words. “There is no shortage of work ahead of us. Today we will also bring EAEA’s strategy one step further.”

We are looking forward to a full day of exchange, reflection, and collaboration with our members across Europe.

Stay tuned for updates!

Stowarzyszenie Trenerskie Organizacji Pozarządowych

Emerging technologies are rapidly transforming education, but many adult educators still lack proper training and support to effectively use digital tools, including AI, in practice.

To address this, project has developed an online course offering practical insights, resources, and ready-to-use materials. It supports a holistic approach to learning and is particularly relevant for adults in vulnerable situations.

Interested in the potential of emerging technologies in adult education? Read our article and learn more about the course: https://eaea.org/2026/05/12/strengthening-adult-education-through-emerging-technologies/

💡Looking for fresh ideas to energise your adult education courses? Curious about how to use new technologies with your learners? Take inspiration from our 10 teaching scenarios that use emerging digital technologies!

The scenarios have been tested on pilot courses across Europe. Ella was one of the educators who taught on a pilot course in Finland, focusing on literacy learning with the support of AI tools. The course was organised by Kansanvalistusseura - Kvs-säätiö.

You can use any of these scenarios and exercises in your own classes. They are organised into five topics:

📖Literacy and numeracy
🌿Sustainability
📲Digital spaces and communities
🗳Democracy and active engagement
👨‍👨‍👧‍👦Personal, social, and learning to learn skills

The scenarios are part of a toolkit that also includes a resource collection to help educators get started with emerging technologies. The resources include, for example, free AI tools, articles, publications, and online courses on how to use technologies in education and learning.

The toolkit and scenarios are part of the project, supported by the Erasmus+ programme.

👉 Find the scenarios and resources: https://eaea.org/project/ethlae/?pid=31016
👉 Read more about Ella’s experience: https://eaea.org/2026/03/26/literacy-learning-with-ai-a-pitfall-or-an-effective-support/

📢 Join us for our upcoming webinar: "Contemporary Witnesses | On Oral History, Counter Archives and Adult Learning"

🗓️ 25 June 2026
⏰ 10:00–11:30 CET
💻 Online
🔗 Register here: https://forms.gle/2P5WVpGetSypgdDYA

How can personal testimonies, oral histories, and lived experiences challenge dominant historical narratives? What role can adult learning play in preserving memory, promoting inclusion, and strengthening democratic participation?

This VOICES Project webinar will explore the intersections of oral history, counter-archives, and adult learning, focusing on how authentic experiences—particularly those of migrant learners and underrepresented communities—can contribute to the creation and communication of historical knowledge.

Together with practitioners, researchers, educators, and civil society representatives, we will discuss:

🔹 How counter-archives challenge dominant historical narratives
🔹 The role of lived experiences and testimonies in adult learning
🔹 Inclusive approaches to literacy, memory, and historical knowledge
🔹 Communicating these topics meaningfully in Adult Education across Europe

👥 Open to adult educators, trainers, researchers, policymakers, civil society organisations, community organisers, and anyone interested in history, memory, and lifelong learning.

What if learners voice was an integral part of how education is designed, implemented and evolving?

That question inspired the ENHANCE project — and the answers came from learners themselves.

Over the course of the project, voices from communities across Europe helped shape discussions, workshops, resources and new ways of thinking about participation in adult education.

This for us, especially as coordinators, is more than the end of a project. It’s a reminder that learner voice matters — and must continue to be part of the future of education.

Discover the tools and stories created through ENHANCE:
Explore ENHANCE Resources: https://enhancelearnervoice.com/