Maltas secondary school project on non-formal and formal partnership in adult learning

AT Maltas, a project “informal and formal partnership in adult learning” was implemented within the framework of the Lifelong Learning Programme. The duration of the project was two years from 1 September 2013 to 31 July 2015. The implementation of the project was coordinated by the Romanian support association ARCS, while the other partner countries were Poland, Latvia and Greece.

The objective of the project was to link formal and non-formal adult learning by increasing the share of non-formal learning methods, techniques and instruments. Each partner involved at least two organisations – one, related to non-formal adult education, another involved in formal education.

During the project:

• 5 meetings were organised. 8 teachers and 5 students participated in mobility trips from Maltas; 6 teachers and 44 students were involved in local workshops.
• Each partner organised local training for its target audience. Maltas High School involved teachers and school parents' club representatives in their workshops with the aim of improving the school environment through informal working forms and techniques. The workshops were made by self-made decorations from metal and paper.
• Maltas High School co-ordinated and organised a meeting in Latvia from 9 to 11 May 2014. During this seminar, all participants in the project were accountable for the work carried out within two months, the participants visited the main school of flames, which since 2009 is THE 2 nd secondary school unit of Maltas.
• Experience gained during the project, with all workshop descriptions, was collected and placed on the school website.

The largest beneficiaries were the (non-) representatives of the formal environment who participated in mobilities outside Latvia. They expanded their vision, self-awareness and knowledge of partner countries and cultures. By participating in this project, there was a closer collaboration between school and mother club. Workshop leaders also experienced specific experience in participating in the internationalisation project. The emotional atmosphere in the school combining process improved noticeably. Participation in local workshops convinced the participants that an active living position and engagement in partnership projects extend the opportunities for self-realization, feel free, be heard and as a result help to perceive the surrounding changes.

Inna Mironova