Grundtvig was a European initiative which sought to improve the quality and European dimension of adult education. Grundtvig primarily focused on education for adults, and uses both formal and informal methods to do so. Their activities were open to any group or institution involved in adult education within the Lifelong Learning Programme countries.
Grundtvig Sub-Programmes included the following:
Learning Partnerships:
Grundtvig Adult Learning Programme formed a structure and means for practical co-operation activities between organisations working in adult education. These partnerships primarily focused on process, and were intended for smaller organisations. Eventually, Grundtvig Learning Partnerships may lead to more larger-scale projects such as Grundtvig Multilateral Projects or Grundtvig Thematic Networks. A Grundtvig Learning Partnership normally lasts two years and during this phase, learners and adult education staff from at least three participating countries come together to work on a project with a specific theme that is of common interest.
Senior Volunteering:
Part of GIVE (Grundtvig Initiative on Volunteering in Europe for Seniors), this new initiative offers grants to local organisations in order to support senior volunteers. There are many objectives to ‘Senior Volunteering’, including: enabling senior citizens to volunteer in another European country and to create on-going cooperation between the host and sending organisations around a specific topic or target group
Workshops:
Grundtvig Workshops gave adult learners the opportunity to take part in learning events and seminars which take place in another European country participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme.
In-Service Training:
Grundtvig In-Service Training enables those involved in the delivery of adult education to attend training courses, which lasted up to six weeks long in order to develop professionally. Training is carried out through well-organised and structured courses for staff working in adult education.
Visits and Exchanges:
The aim of Visits and Exchanges was to improve the quality of adult learning by encouraging and enabling present or future staff working in this field or those involved in the training of such staff to undertake a work- related visit to a country participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme. These Visits and Exchanges took the form of a work placement or job shadowing etc.
Seminars:
Under Grundtvig, funding was offered to teachers and education staff who attend contact seminars with a view to setting up links with schools across Europe.
Assistantships:
Grundtvig Assistantships gave present or future staff involved in adult education the opportunity to spend a period of between 12-45 weeks as a Grundtvig Assistant at another European adult education organisation that is participating in the Lifelong Learning Programme. The objective of Asssistanships was to give those participating the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the European dimension to adult learning, including: advance their knowledge of foreign languages; find out more about European education systems; and to improve their intercultural competencies.
Preparatory Visits:
Under Grundtvig, funding was also available for adult education professionals to undertake preparatory visits with a view to developing partnerships and preparing projects with organisations that are similar across Europe.
Seminars:
Grundtvig provided funding to teachers and education staff to attend contact seminars with a view to setting up links and creating partnerships with other schools across Europe.
