Lifelong learning week (LLW) 2003
TEDEN VSEŽIVLJENJSKEGA UČENJA (TVU) 2003
Annual plan
- Introduction
During the past eight years, the Slovenian Lifelong Learning Week has become a well established country-wide manifestation. Traditionally organised in the third week of October, it enables numerous providers of educational, cultural and social events to join their forces with the aim of implementing the slogan 'Slovenia, a learning country'. The mission of LLW can be depicted as follows:
- public awareness-raising related to the meaning, importance and omnipresence of learning in all stages of life and in various roles one has;
- developing a positive attitude towards all forms of formal, non-formal and informal learning and overcoming stereotyped notions of learning;
- awaking curiosity and creating new demand for learning;
- presenting numerous and multifarious learning, education and training possibilities and initiating high-quality learning and education supply;
- providing information and counselling;
- rethinking the state-of-art and state-of-theory in the field of education and learning;
- creating mutual acceptance and understanding of sometimes conflicting parties: the formal and non-formal sector of education, government and non-government institutions, various generations, religions, cultures, nationalities, etc;
- establishing grounds for getting to know and creating long-lasting partnerships of various actors within or across geographic or thematic areas;
- celebrating outstanding achievements related to learning and creativity, and motivating the public to get involved themselves.
Some of the above described aspects of the LLW mission as well as new ones developing in the process of LLW implementation pertain to the widest public, others to providers of learning opportunities; some relate to seekers of learning possibilities, to professionals or to individuals, groups and institutions which find themselves in one of the before mentioned roles. Nevertheless, LLW is becoming a movement in which nearly everybody can find an opportunity for his/her active involvement. In accordance with a steadily growing number of LLW providers, events and other indicators (see table below), the dimensions of the LLW project are growing as well, enabling a constant development of various perspectives mentioned above.
Number\ Year
/ 1996 / 1997 / 1998 / 1999 / 2000 / 2001 / 2002Providers / 74 / 137 / 267 / 374 / 500 / 545 / 563
Events / 500 / 1,000 / 1,500 / 1,900 / 1,900 / 3,400 / 3,072
Media items / 163 / 623 / 457 / 600 / 820 / 1,400 / 1,230
Visitors to events / 10,000 / 22,320 / 30,000 / 35,000 / 40,000 / 40,000 / 50,600
In 2003 the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education (SIAE) in cooperation with the National LLW Committee and providers of events at the national and local level will carry out the eighth Lifelong Learning Week in Slovenia from October 13 -19 2003.
2.STRUCTURE OF LLW ACTIVITIES
The work of the Slovenian Institute for Adult Education for the LLW project consists of two groups of activities:
- National LLW co-ordination whichencompasses:
-conceptual and development activities
-co-operation with LLW providers at the local level
-national LLW promotion
-international co-operation
- Organisation of SIAE events whichencompasses:
-presentation of SIAE Awards for outstanding achievements in adult education
-grand LLW opening at the national level
-7th Adult Education Colloquium
3.DESCRIPTION OF LLW 2003 ACTIVITIES
1.National LLW 2003 co-ordination
1.1Conceptual and development activities performed by SIAE encompass the management of the project, the implementation of the strategy of lifelong learning, the establishment and empowering of the network of regional and thematic LLW coordinators, and activities linked to the implementation of central LLW themes.
The LLW working team is in charge of the management of the LLW project– they prepare the preliminary annual plan and introduce it to the National LLW Committee for adoption. All year long activities are being carried out in accordance with the defined timetable. Members of the LLW working team meet regularly in order to harmonise their tasks. Part of the project management is the establishing of contacts with competent ministries and other authorities at the national level. The aim of these activities is to encourage them for taking over a co-ordinative role in their fields of work and helping spread the idea of LL(W). The acquisition of financial resources is part of LLW management work as well. In the closing phase of the project, the evaluation of LLW impacts and the presentation of the report to relevant authorities at the national level, to LLW co-ordinators and providers of events as well as to the international public also belongs to this group of activities.
National LLW Committee
/Expected date
/Expected result
1st meeting / May 2003 / Adopted LLW 2003 annual plan2nd meeting / December 2003
/ January 2004 / Evaluation of LLW 2003
The basic LLW mission is the implementation of the strategy of lifelong learning therefore the preparation of promotional and advocacy documentation for dissemination to the professional as well as large public presents one of the most important conceptual tasks.
The establishment and empowerment of the network of LLW co-ordinators is a development taskwith the aim of introducing a decentralised approach to the organisation of LLW based on the principle of voluntary cooperation and integration of contents and providers of events.In 2003, the network will update and enrich the Recommendations to LLW co-ordinators created in 2001. Co-ordinators will meet two or three times in order to discuss LLW topics of mutual interest, exchange experience and standpoints, and establish grounds for cooperation. SIAE will offer professional support all year long.
LLW Co-ordinators
/Expected date
/Expected result
1st meeting / March 14 / Concept of co-operation2nd meeting / September 11 / Exchange of latest information
3rd meeting / December 2003
/ January 2004 / Evaluation of LLW 2003 and of the network of LLW co-ordinators
LLW 2003 will focus on the following themes:
LLW 2003 is the European year of people with disabilities therefore the organisational board at the Ministry of labour, family and social affairs and SIAE will carry out a series of activities related to this theme. All co-ordinators and providers of LLW events are invited to focus at least some of their events on the importance of lifelong learning for people with disabilities.
For the first time in the history of LLW, the Employment Service of Slovenia will take the role of thematic co-ordinator and will encourage regional and local offices to organise open days and other manifestations within LLW 2003. All co-ordinators and providers of LLW events are invited to join forces with local employment offices to organise events that shed light on the topic of employability and lifelong learning.
Another leading theme of LLW 2003 is related to the first regional learning festival forSouth Eastern Europe. Representatives of Slovenia will participate at the central event in Skopje and all co-ordinators and providers of LLW events are invited to design LLW events which promote topics such as: culture of peace, tolerance, respect for differences, international, cross-border and intercultural co-operation, social inclusion and democracy.
1.2Co-operation with LLW 2003 providersencompasses preliminary and closing activities.
Preliminary activities take place between February and the beginning of October. SIAE encourages, co-ordinates and offers information and guidance to providers of LLW events at the local level – either via phone, internet or at meetings. Co-operation is based upon registration of events.
Event
/Expected date
/Expected result
Public call for registration of LLW events- via mail
- via internet / May 5 – September 1
June 5 – September 19 / Preliminary data on LLW 2003 providers and events
1 st meeting of providers / September 11 / Exchange of information
Closing activitiesconsist of collecting feedback information concerning LLW events via questionnaire. These data will be the basis for analysis and establishment of quantitative and qualitative indicators of LLW.
Event
/Expected date
/Expected result
Collection of feedback information / Until November 15 / Final data on LLW 2003 providers and events2nd meeting of LLW providers / December 2003
/ January 2004 / Evaluation of LLW 2003
1.2National LLW 2003 promotionencompasses media promotion, common graphic image of LLW 2003 and visual promotion, including the LLW web site, LLW-Novičke, e-promotion and internet Calendar of events.
SIAE will try to gain media attention for LLW all year long by fostering personal and professional contacts with media representatives, preparing documentation on LLW and lifelong learning in general, appearing in radio and TV interviews and other broadcasts, and by organizing the LLW press conference at the national level.
The LLW corporate image will be used for creating the LLW 2003 logo, poster, title page of LLW-Novičke, application form, leaflet, invitation to the grand opening and other informative and promotionalmaterial. New in 2003 will be elements for e-promotion such as the LLW e-postcard.
The LLW web site ( will feature general data on LLW, inform all interested parties about latest news concerning LLW 2003 and enable providers to register events via internet. It is available in Slovenian (full version) and English language (shortened version).
Event
/Expected date
/Expected result
Updating of the Slovenian web site / Until March 15 / Updated Slovenian web siteUpdating of the English web site / Until April 15 / Updated English web site
The internet Calendar of LLW 2003 events( - in Slovenian only) will present all LLW events at the national and local level. It will offer the possibility of seeking information according to various criteria (location, date of event, name of provider, topic, etc.) as well as export of data into various formats adequate for further processing and publishing.
Event
/Expected date
Posting of the first version of the Calendar / October 6Posting of the second version of the Calendar / October 10
The bulletin TVU-Novičkewill accompany the implementation of LLW 2003 throughout the year. In the first issue, the annual plan and other data relevant for the preliminary stage of the project will be published. In the second issue, life histories of SIAE Award winners will be presented and latest information concerning LLW 2003 will be given. The third issue will be dedicated to the report and analysis, and the fourth issue (called LLW-Novičke) will be the summary of the project, published in English and used for dissemination at the international level.
Event
/Expected date
/Expected result
TVU-Novičke 1/2003 / March / Invitation to participate in LLWTVU-Novičke2/2003 / August / Presentation of award winners
TVU-Novičke3/2003 / January 2004 / Report and analysis - Slovenian
LLW-Novičke1/2003 / January 2004 / Report and analysis – English
1.3International co-operationencompasses active participation in the international ALW/LF movement, participation in the first regional learning festival for South Eastern Europe, in the EU project ‘Widening and strengthening the European dimension of the LLW movement’, participation at international meetings and preparation of articles and other material for publications at the international level.
The international ALW/LF movementis being co-ordinated by the Unesco Institute for Education inHamburg. They edit the joint web site(see encourage the exchange of information and experience, organise meetings of national co-ordinators and perform other tasks of joint interest. The Slovenian LLW will take active part in all these activities.
The first regional learning festival for South Eastern Europewill take place in Skopje, however, national learning festivals of eight partner countries[1]co-operating in the EBIS (Erwachsenenbildung in Suedosteuropa) Project co-ordinated by IIZ/DVV, Bonn will be constituent parts of the event as well. Slovenia has played a crucial role in the development of learning festivals in the SEE region and will participate in the organisation of the regional festival as well. For more information see
Event
/Expected date
/Expected result
Central event in Skopje / October 16 - 19 / Grand opening, presentation of awards and examples of good practice in the regionRegional workshops in partner countries / September – November / Meetings of AE experts
National festivals in partner countries / September – November / Events in the whole region
Within the EU Grundtvig project ‘Widening and strengthening the European dimension of the LLW movement’ five countries: Bulgaria, Germany, Romania, Spain and Slovenia are co-operating with the aim to exchange experiences, enrich approaches to the organisation of learning festivals, and initiate the first learning festival and a collective event in Spain. SIAE acts as project co-ordinator; for more information see
Event
/Expected date
/Expected result
Central event / November / Opening of the first learning festival in Spain, professional eventsNational festivals in partner countries / September – November / Events in all five partner countries
2.Organisation of SIAE events in LLW 2003
2.1Presentation of SIAE Awards 2003 for outstanding achievements in adult education– tasks encompass the preparation of the public tender and the nomination forms, the publishing of the public tender in various media, encouraging of nominators and guidance work, collecting of nominations, editing and preparation of documentation for the Awards Committee which will select max 15 award winners in accordance with the Standing Orders.
The informing of nominators and nominees, interviews with award winners and preparation of their portraits for posting on the LLW web site and publishing in TVU-Novičke are additional tasks in this group. For the nation-wide promotion of the award winners, a video presentation will be prepared suitable for broadcasting on national and local TV stations and at LLW venues.Awards will be presented at the grand LLW 2003 opening and life histories will be posted on the LLW web site(
The conceptual work regarding awards for best diploma works in the field of adult education and lifelong learning will be carried out in this group of activities as well.
Event
/Expected date
/Expected result
Public tender / March 25 - April 25 / Collecting nominationsSelection of award winners / May 26 / Publishing of results
Presentation of awards / October 10
Grand LLW 2003 opening at the national level– the national press conference as well as the grand opening of LLW 2003 will be organised by SIAE on October 10. For the first time in eight years, the grand opening will take place before the Week starts officially as to enable co-ordinators and providers at the local level to attend this national event. Again, one of the most attractive parts of the grand opening will be the presentation of SIAE Awards.
In addition, SIAE will look into the possibility of transferring the grand opening of next LLWs to the regional level and will prepare criteria for one of the LLW co-ordinators to take over the organisation of the event. This will be an important step of decentralising the implementation of LLW and bringing it even closer to the learners. This scenario will be discussed and adopted by the National LLW Committee.
Event
/Expected date
National press conference / October 10Grand LLW 2003 opening / October 10
2.2Organization of the 7th Adult Education Colloquium– activities encompass the organisational and comprehensive aspect of this traditional professional event carried out by SIAE. The conceptualisation of the theme, preparation of the call for papers, conducting meetings of the programme board, promotion of the colloquium, preparation of materials and their posting on the AE Colloquium web site ( Slovenian and in English), the implementation of the two-day event and its evaluation are tasks that will be carried out.
The 7th Adult Education Colloquium will enable a debate of several domestic and foreign professionals on the theme of Current issues in adult education and motivation. It is also one of the workshops in the series of professional events that will be organised within the framework of the first regional learning festival for South Eastern Europe.
Event
/Expected date
Submission of paper abstracts / March 31 (htpp://tvu.acs.si/ak/prijava)Registration without paper presentation / May 31
Full-paper submission / June 30
Deadline for confirmation of registration / August/September
7th Adult Education Colloquium / October 17-18
4.VALIDITY
The preliminary LLW 2003 plan was prepared by the LLW project team at SIAE as part of SIAE’s annual Work plan for 2003. The LLW 2003 annual plan will be presented to the National LLW Committee and will become valid when it is confirmed by the Government of Slovenia.
1
[1]Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Montenegro, and Slovenia.