VALUE Conference – Middle East Technical University, Ankara (Turkey) 8–9 June 2011

1. “LLL through volunteering: Principles, intercultural aspects and good practices.”LLL through volunteering – principles Sabine Remdisch VALUE Conference – Middle East Technical University, Ankara (Turkey) 8–9 June 2011

2. LLL as a Challenge for Educational Policy in Europe • Continuous professional education and training throughout the entire working life • Improvement of educational opportunities and participation for all levels of the population • Recognition and inclusion of informal learning • Educating older people to maintain expertise and thus guarantee transfer of knowledge between generations Value Conference – LLL through Volunteering

3. The Contribution of Universities to LLL • Universities will have a prominent role in LLL through academic continuing education. • Lifelong learning and learning parallel to work must become a leading principle. • Universities must develop specific, closely-tailored continuing education opportunities for the working world and meet the qualification needs of the working individual. • Universities must offer individualised education based on professional biographies. They must make access to higher education possible through recognition of professional competencies. • Universities need appealing and effective teaching methods for participants from different phases of life. Value Conference – LLL through Volunteering

4. Effective Teaching Methods: LLL through Volunteering • Learning must remain attractive for professionals, people in late-professional life and in retirement • to provide necessary professional knowledge and to inspire innovation; • so that their knowledge and competence is not lost; • to promote their social participation and social recognition and appreciation of their expertise. • Older people with their strong community involvement must develop and up-date their competencies to ensure the transfer of knowledge to younger generations Value Conference – LLL through Volunteering

5. LLL through Volunteering: Learning in Other Living Environments • Examples of Learning in Other Living Environments: • Service Learning (Universities)Service Learning is a teaching method which combines academic seminar content (learning) with community involvement (service). Students take on social responsibility and can assimilate the learning content more intensively. • “Changeover” (Companies)Relates to managers who have a practical lear-ning week in drug rehabilitation centers, centers for the disabled, hospices, child and youthcare facilities or in the penal system. • “A Real Honour” (Companies) Teams within a company take on responsibility for social projects (e.g. renovating a kindergarten) within the framework of team development seminars • Volunteering Projects in Developing Regions (Organisations / Societies) Adults work on community, social or cultural projects in developing countries in: environmental preservation, wildlife preservation, education, childcare, social work and healthcare projects. Value Conference – LLL through Volunteering

6. LLL through Volunteering: Learning in Other Living Environments • University continuing education for the voluntary sector • the development of university programmes (continuing education) for the qualification of leaders active in third-sector organisations. Demand is particularly in the leadership task areas of organisation and public relations. Value Conference – LLL through Volunteering

7. LLL through Volunteering: The Principles • Integrated learning: anchoring the learning experience at different levels, strong personal impressions, inspiring group experiences, learner becomes open. • Experience-oriented learning:learner is strongly activated by the new learning arena, gathering intercultural competence. • Self-evaluation and reflection: strongly promotes self-evaluation process: questioning own values; recognising own behaviour and learning to control it. Value Conference – LLL through Volunteering

8. LLL through Volunteering: The Benefits • Learners can • develop social competence, • learn to be more sensitive and understanding of others, • develop personally, especially sense of civic responsibility, • build leadership abilities, • gather experience in project management, • gain professional orientation, • develop openness and personal strengths. • Universities can • increase their responsibility within the community, • exchange knowledge with the region, • increase the variety of seminars offered, • improve their image within the society. • The community can • improve the quality and quantity of socially-oriented opportunities, • improve social cohesion through networking, • gain academic expertise in the support and evaluation of projects. Value Conference – LLL through Volunteering