Project meeting - Alytus, Lithuania. 2009 October 23rd

CREATIVE PATHWAYS IN ADULT ADUCATION project

Meeting notes from the project meeting held in Alytus, Lithuania.
October 23rd, 2009

Participants:

Regina Vilkeliene VsI Alytaus jaunimo centras
Tatjana Zacharova VsI Alytaus jaunimo centras
Rolandas Slivinskas VsI Alytaus jaunimo centras
Ruta Mekisaite VsI Alytaus jaunimo centras
Ruta Jasioniene VsI Alytaus jaunimo centras
Henrieta Lapinskaite VsI Alytaus jaunimo centras
Ilona Kalibatiene VsI Alytaus jaunimo centras
Vamvaka Christodoulopoulou Kyriaki Achaia Adult Education Institute
Maria Karousou – Vogiatzi Achaia Adult Education Institute
Nikolaos Vogiatzis Achaia Adult Education Institute
Giampiero Costantini Euroform RFS

This was the first meeting with partners from Lithuania (coordinator), Greece and Italy. The meeting with partners from the UK, Portugal and Latvia will be held on November 18-21, 2009.

Thursday, 22nd October
Travel day – arrive in Alytus, motel “Linas”.

Friday, 23rd October

VsĮ Alytaus jaunimo centras (further Youth centre), Alytus, Lithuania
Meeting formally opened – 10:00 a.m.
A short welcome

Introductions

Regina Vilkeliene Director of the Alytus youth centre, project coordinator, Lithuania
Tatjana Zacharova English teacher, Alytus youth centre, Lithuania
Rolandas Slivinskas Dance teacher, Alytus youth centre, Lithuania
Ruta Mekisaite Dance teacher, Alytus youth centre, Lithuania
Ruta Jasioniene A student of rhetorics, Alytus youth centre, Lithuania
Henrieta Lapinskaite Art/handicraft teacher, Alytus youth centre, Lithuania
Ilona Kalibatiene Art/handicraft teacher, Alytus youth centre, Lithuania
Vamvaka Christodoulopoulou Kyriaki President of Achaia Adult Education Institute
Maria Karousou – Vogiatzi Teacher at Achaia Adult Education Institute
Nikolaos Vogiatzis Teacher at Achaia Adult Education Institute
Giampiero Costantini President of Euroform RFS

The introductions demonstrated a wonderful and varied experience drawn from across Europe.

Agenda

The presentation of the Youth centre and its activities by Tatjana Zacharova (PPT).

Dance courses for adults – Rolandas and Ruta, dance teachers from the Youth centre presented their activities; what adult students usually do during lessons, after lessons, during parties. Rolandas, then, presented the idea for the project:
The basis for the dance is a circle (as mentioned in the application form). All partners choose one music, but prepare their own steps to this music (or rhythm). During meetings students present their steps to others and teach to dance it. In case, we do not have a possibility to prepare the dance together, we can later video edit filmed material and make a common dance in a film. Any dance steps can be chosen (ball room, line dance, sports dance, etc.) as long as it is in circle and of the same rhythm.

Art/handicraft courses for adults – the teachers Henrieta and Ilona introduced themselves. Then, Emerita Pavasare, a student of the course, presented the idea for the project:
…This year we are going to use other, unconventional methods. We are interested in ecological issues; therefore we want to use waste material creating boxes and bags for gifts and souvenirs. Also, we are going to create artificial flowers using different kinds of techniques and materials, such as fabric, beads. White rose is a symbol of Alytus. So we decided to choose this flower as the main theme for improvisation making our artificial flowers. But we will improvise with other kinds of plants too.
The project members of each country could create their own bunch of flowers symbolising their country. All kinds of techniques can be used.

Rhetorics courses for adults – the teacher of the course Regina Vilkeliene. The idea for the project was presented by the student of this course, Ruta Jasioniene:
Adult students of this course have chosen to prepare Christmas and New Year’s greetings for partner, video them and send to all the partners. This is an absolutely new idea for them and they are going to prepare even more greetings on various occasions, not only as project activity.

The partners from Greece and Italy have agreed with the ideas. Although, Giampiero Costantini from Italy, said they do not have much experience and are totally dependent on Labour market (Italian partner has not got any of the proposed project activities this year), but they will try to find solutions to actively participate in the project.

During a coffee break an informal discussion about project activities was going on. The art teachers from the Youth centre presented their art works to project partners.

Vamvaka (Sandy) Kyriaki from Greece presented her institution and all the projects implemented before (PPT). She also presented the ideas for the project – a Book Club – 1 book a month to be read by students and discussed later. They are going to invite an author to discuss the book together.
Greek partner will also try to implement an idea with the flower, proposed by Lithuanian art teachers.
Sandy has also shortly presented the Portfolio we are going to use in the project.

Giampiero Costantini made a presentation of Euroform and their projects (PPT). Euroform RFS also provides non-formal education, depending on labour market research.

After the meeting the partners had a guided tour around the Youth centre and Alytus town.

The second meeting will be held in Lithuania on November 18-21, 2009.

A date for the third project meeting was proposed – the beginning of May (2nd May – travelling; 3 and 4th May – working days; 5th – departure). The place suggested was Italy. The coordinator has later decided to change the meeting place, as there are no proposed activities in Euroform, Italy. The third project meeting should be organised together with adult students. That is why we all need to choose an institution with the possibility for students to meet and learn/teach each other, while Project Board has meetings. We could decide on the country for the third meeting during our second project meeting in Alytus, Lithuania.