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European network for adult literacy and numeracy

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You can find here useful information about some associations that work for adult literacy education.

SCOTLAND

ASSOCIATION’S NAME Learning Link Scotland
ADDRESS Learning Link Scotland
Suite 6
2 Commercial Street
Edinburgh
EH6 6JA (UK)
WEBSITE http://www.learninglinkscotland.org.uk/
DESCRIPTION We create and deliver services and projects on policy and practice in adult education. We aim to influence national policy to reflect the needs and achievements of our Members. We create regional and national events, one-to-one support and information services to support, develop and promote the work of our Members. We develop programmes on evaluation of learning and adult learning.
CONTACT PERSON info@learninglinkscotland.org.uk
ASSOCIATION’S NAME Workers Educational Association
WEBSITE www.weascotland.org.uk
DESCRIPTION The WEA is a national, democratic, voluntary sector provider of community-based and workplace-based adult learning. We make a unique contribution to lifelong learning. 14,000 people are enrolled on courses organised by the WEA in over 200 locations across Scotland. The WEA’s priority is to reach people who face barriers to learning.
CONTACT PERSON Jayne Stewart (glasgow@weascotland.org.uk)
ASSOCIATION’S NAME Scotland’s Learning Partnership
WEBSITE www.salp.org.uk
DESCRIPTION Scotland’s Learning Partnership (SLP) is a national partnership of adult learners and providers in Scotland. Members are adult learners and learning providers. The purpose of SLP is to:
  • advocate the common interests of learners and providers to key policy makers and politicians
  • promote non-formal adult and family learning
  • develop innovative projects that reach out to excluded groups
  • equip and motivate learners with the skills to voice their views and actively shape their learning
  • increase opportunities for learners to shape and develop the national campaigns programme
  • advocate and lobby on behalf of both learners and providers.
CONTACT PERSON Fiona Boucher (fiona.boucher@scotlandslearning.org.uk)

GERMANY

ASSOCIATION’S NAME Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V., Projektträger im DLR (German Aerospace Center, Project Management Agency)
ADDRESS Heinrich-Konen-Straße 1 _53227 Bonn (GERMANY)
WEBSITE http://www.alphabund.de/
http://www.dlr.de/pt/en/desktopdefa...
CONTACT PERSON Nicole Lederle (nicole.lederle@dlr.de)
ASSOCIATION’S NAME Deutscher Volkshochschul-Verband e.V. (German Adult Education Association)
ADDRESS Obere Wilhelmstr. 32
53225 Bonn (GERMANY)
WEBSITE http://www.dvv-vhs.de/
CONTACT PERSON PD Dr. Angela Rustemeyer (rustemeyer@dvv-vhs.de)
ASSOCIATION’S NAME Hamburger Volkshochschule, Zentrum Grundbildung/Drittmittelprojekte
ADDRESS Billstedter Hauptstraße 69a
22111 Hamburg (GERMANY)
WEBSITE http://www.vhs-hamburg.de/
CONTACT PERSON Heike Kölln-Prisner (H.Koelln-Prisner@vhs-hamburg.de

SPAIN

ASSOCIATION’S NAME CONFAPEA – Confederación de Federaciones y Asociaciones de Participantes en Educación y Cultura Democrática de Personas Adultas (Confederation of Participants’ Associations for Adult Education and Cultural Organisation)
ADDRESS Claramunt, 2-4
08030 Barcelona (SPAIN)
WEBSITE www.confapea.org
DESCRIPTION CONFAPEA gathers educational and cultural federations and associations from all around Spain in which participants decide by consensus all parts of the different projects. These participants are people without qualifications and they are not paid for their involvement. At least once a year, CONFAPEA organises a virtual meeting in order for all Spanish organisations to communicate, exchange experiences, concerns and best practices.
Learners take the leading role: they are the ones to decide the activities that CONFAPEA should carry out, and then they hire the educators and trainers that will be developing those activities they have decided.
We believe that VET is of crucial importance both for trainers and volunteers, especially proper training based of acquiring the best knowledge and promotion of learners. That’s the reason why: CONFAPEA co-organizes the “Trijornadas”, a Congress held every three years that provides university professors and researchers of adult literacy, adult literacy teachers and learners the opportunity to meet to exchange views, experiences and concerns, as well as to agree on the future work of the democratic education movement of adult learners. The crucial point in this event is the fact that both researchers and professors must listen to what participants have to say (their proposals, demands, etc.) during the last day of the congress, as the aim of the Congress is that university faculty and researchers implement and research on what learners told them. At the same time, the presence and explanations of the university professors and researchers provide learners a great knowledge on the latest contributions in science, education, etc., which enables them to freely decide on their lives.
CONFAPEA also co-organizes a Summer school, held every year. It consists of an intensive training in relevant topics and issues concerning democratic education of adult learners. Finally, CONFAPEA is supported by REDA (a network of education providers).
CONTACT PERSON Ana Lebrón (confapea@neskes.net)
ASSOCIATION’S NAME Associació AGORA, Escola de Persones Adultes La Verneda-Sant Martí (AGORA Association, Adult School La Verneda Sant Martí)
ADDRESS C/ Selva de Mar, 215, 5th Floor
08020 Barcelona (SPAIN)
WEBSITE http://www.edaverneda.org/
DESCRIPTION AGORA is one of the two associations of participating people that manage the Adult School La Verneda Sant Martí. The associations of participating people are part of an integral Educational Project of the School and are their spokesmen.
Learning Community Adult School of Verneda St. Martí is a pluralistic democratic project, where decisions are taken by everyone involved in the community through participation, dialogue and consensus. The School is coordinated in the following way:
  • General Assembly: It is the most important decision making body, and is formed by all persons participating in the activities of the school and representatives of the learning community.
  • College council: It is a decision space. Its function is to decide the medium-term actions under the Project approved by the Assembly. The Council is open to all participants and representatives of the learning community.
  • Monthly co-ordination (COME): It is to inform, develop the College Council decisions and ponder on those topics of interest that are decided collectively. It’s open to people representing the community of learning, collaborating people, participants involved in committees, activities, etc, people who are not part of the learning community but are linked to projects, institutions etc. related to the topics of reflection that are discussed in COME, representatives of the neighbourhood.
  • Commissions for democracy in the School: Commission for the prevention of domestic violence, Affirmative Action Commission, Advisory Council, Youth Group, Women’s group, Multicultural group.
    Furthermore, once a year anyone who is interested in can participate in a “Dream day”, which is aimed at thinking about how all people would like their school to be.
CONTACT PERSON Armando Macías/Bernat Oró (escola@edaverneda.org)
ASSOCIATION’S NAME AEPA - Associació d’Educació de Persones Adultes (AEPA – Association of Education of Adult People)
ADDRESS Claramunt 2-4
08030 Barcelona (SPAIN)
WEBSITE http://www.aepa1983.org
DESCRIPTION AEPA gathers primary and secondary teachers, adult education teachers and volunteers related to adult learning. AEPA’s main aim is to promote activities related to adult education as means to overcome all kind of social inequalities (gender, culture, educational level, age, economic situation, etc.). Therefore, AEPA’s key feature is to promote learners’ self-determination.
Furthermore, AEPA promotes “training spaces”, which are VET training days aimed at reflecting on topical issues, always taking into account promotion and participation of learners. Since the 80s, AEPA has been promoting a learners’ network in Catalonia, in which trainers associated in AEPA are playing a key role in democratic spaces of Adult Education. That’s the reason why we think AEPA is a good model to take into account as a trainers’ association.
CONTACT PERSON Esther Cañada (a.e.p.a@suport.org)

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.

This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Education and Culture DG