Life Long Learning (L3) Projects for ElderlyPrepared by: Leena Chauhan

Brief Overview• What is Lifelong Learning?• Lifelong Learning in India• Lifelong learning projects for Elderly in India

Government InitiativesNGOs InitiativesEducational Institute’s Initiatives

• Lifelong Learning Projects for Elderly in other Countries

Experiences form USExperiences form EuropeExperiences form Australia

• Conclusion and Recommendations

Life Long learning

Educational Opportuniti

es throughout

Life

New Skills

Modifying or

sharpening Existing

Adding New

Knowledge

Learning at any

stage of life

Accepting Change

in Society

Education for non

/ neo literates

Self Improveme

nt

Lifelong learning may be broadly defined as learning that is pursued throughout life: learning that is flexible, diverse and available at different times and in different places. It is educational opportunities throughout life.

Life long Learning Projects in India

Government Initiatives

Support to Training and Employment Programmes for women( STEP):

The programme is operationalisd through the NGOs and aims at. It is reported that the programme is well received by the women.

Coordinator The Ministry of Women and Child Development

Financial support

NORAD-(Norwegian Agency For International Development )

Implementation

Through NGOs

Aims at Employment cum income-generation by providing training in selected nontraditional trades such as electronics, watch-manufacturing and assembly, printing and binding, handlooms, weaving and spinning, garment making, beauty culture, typing and shorthand

Target Group Women and school dropouts

Farmers Training

Coordinator Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Financial support Ministry of Agriculture

Implementation Krishi Vigyan Centers establish by ICAR

Aims at training farmers to update their knowledge and skills in improved agricultural technology and training of extension workers.

Target Group Farmers

Individual Interest Promotion ProgrammeCoordinator Directorate of Literacy & Continuing

Education Financial support

Education Department at State Level

Implementation

Agencies at various levels, panchayat, block and district, the collaborators   may be individuals who are interested and competent, educational institution like schools, NGOs, cooperatives, government departments, local industries, etc  (Continuing Education Centres)

Aims to provide opportunities for learners to participate and learn about their individuality.

Social and spiritual Activity: Celebration of festivals, Holding melas, organising exhibitions, having get-together programmes, excursions.

Cultural Activity: Folk Art song Music, Dance, Drama, Puppetry, Painting, Drawing and Handicrafts.

Health: activities meant to improve the health situation, medical check-ups, disease detection camps, health camps, yoga workshops.

Physical Activity: games and sportsArt: Some activities of artistic interests can be organised,

such as sculpture designing and simple skills like rangoli and mehndi application

In Order to inculcate the attitude towards information technology, computer literacy programmes have also been initiated in some districts at CECs

NGOs Initiatives

Harmony for Silver FoundationFound in 2004Founder Mrs. Tina Anil AmbaniAims at Enhancing the quality of life of the

elderly in IndiaTarget Group

Silver Citizens

Activities An Interactive Centre for silver citizens, in South Mumbai

Harmony, the magazineThe Harmony Senior Citizens’ RunResearch monographsSeminarsNetworking with like-minded

organisations  Advocacy

•Interactive Centers, organizes daily, weekly and monthly educational and recreational activities such as Computer classes, Cooking Classes, Games, yoga classes, workshops, health camps, picnics, excursion etc.

HelpAge IndiaFound in 1978Aims at to improve the status for India’s

(disadvantaged) senior citizensTarget Group

Silver Citizens

Activities Active Aging Centers/ AdvantAge CentersMedical CareLivelihood SupportOld Age Homes  Advocacy

Active Aging Centers/ AdvantAge Centers in HelpAge India

• 875 Senior Citizen Associations (SCA) across India.

•  5-6 like-minded senior citizens that meets at least once a week.

• They choose an activity as per their common interests viz. forming a book club, carom playing group, badminton group, chess group or form a group that learns to use a computer effectively.

• With this the group provide each other with peer group companionship and thereby provide emotional support system to one another.

Dignity FoundationFound in 1978Motto “Supporting the one who supported us”

Target Group

Silver Citizens

Activities Helpline and CounselingMedical CareCompanionshipRetirement HomesSenior Citizen IDRation for Indigent Senior Citizens  Advocacy

Retirement Township-An Emerging Trend in India•There are few organizations who has

taken steps towards a better retirement. •Retirement Township is an upcoming

trend.•Dignity Foundation also have “Dignity

Lifestyle Retirement Township”.

Educational Institute’s Innitiatives

Academic Staff Colleges (ASC)

• There are 66 ASCs in India established by UGC

• They organize refresher courses for University Staff

Institutes of Lifelong Learning and Department of Adult Continuing Education

and Extension

• Provides Continuing Education Certificate Courses-both university based and community centered, Equivalency Programme, Quality life Improvement programmes, Individual Interest Promotion Programmes, Vocational Education / Skill Training, Induction / Sensitization Programmes for peoples representatives, education of older adults

LIFELONG LEARNING THROUGH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES

LIFELONG LONG LEARNING THROUGH OPEN DISTANCE LEARNING INSITUTIONS

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU)

•IGNOU offer wide range of degree, certificate and diploma courses in various streams through distance, online and regular mode.

•For each courses Age limits is given wherein majority of falls under ‘no bar’ criteria.

Mission To work with all types of adult learners who, in turn, seek to work with the disadvantaged and vulnerable sections of society

Target Group

Adult Learners (25 years and Above)

Activities Diploma in CounselingDiploma in GerontologyDiploma in Youth Development and

social changeCertificate in Geriatric Care

Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Life long Learning Projects in Other Countries

Experiences from US

Ohio Department of Aging Lifelong Learning Institutes, GoO• A lifelong learning institute (LLI), or institute for

learning in retirement (ILR), is a community-based organization of retirement-age people interested in continuing their educations beyond retirement.

• Although each LLI is as unique as its members, most are sponsored by a college or university and provide non-credit academic programs developed by the members. Membership is typically open to all enthusiastic retirement-age learners regardless of previous education.

• LLIs are structured like typical college programs, with regular semesters and coursework.

•In order to promote lifelong personal improvement and community involvement, Ohio's four-year universities and two-year technical colleges allow residents age 60 and older to attend classes at no cost. 

University of Akron 60 Plus (60+) ProgramBelmont CollegeLifelong LearningBowling Green State University Senior Adult Grants for Educations (SAGE) ProgramCentral Ohio Technical CollegeCOTC Senior Services (Program 60)Central State University Senior Citizen EnrollmentCincinnati State Technical & Community College

Senior Citizens

University of Cincinnati Senior Audit ProgramClark State Community College Continuing EducationCleveland State University Project 60Columbus State Community College Good as GoldCuyahoga Community College Program 60Eastern Gateway Community College

Senior Citizens

Samaritan Village Retirement Community and Services

•Situated in: Hughson, California•Started in 2002•This community is designed to keep seniors

healthy, active, and socially engaged by providing a sense of well-being and security along with spacious and well-equipped cottages and apartment.

•This unique community has well equipped houses, (independent and assisted), Village mall, food court, activity center as well.

• Water Aerobics, Swimming, Strength Training, Yoga, Dance,  Fitness ClassesFitness

• Bingo, Penny Ante Poker, Billiards, Bridge, Rummicube, Skip-Bo, ShuffleboardGames

• Day trips to Yosemite, San Francisco, Daffodil Hill, Black Oak Casino, Castle Air Museum, Sonora and moreExcursion

• Watercolor Classes, Knitting and Crocheting, Stitch & Chat, Gardening, Puzzles, Group Singalong

Art and Craft

• Happy Hour, Wine and Cheese Social, Birthday Bash, Red Hat Ladies, Morning Socials, Dancing and Live Entertainment

Social Events

• Computer Classes, Toastmasters, Writer's Workshop, Science Lectures, Armchair Travel Club, Something to Talk About

Lifelong Learning

Experience from Europe

LIFELONG LEARNING PROGRAMME -COMBATING ELDER ABUSE

• Supported by: European Commission• Aim: to share experiences and tools in training

volunteers, formal and informal carers and raise awareness among them against elder abuse.

• Target Group: volunteers, informal carers and older people and their families, Volunteers working in elder abuse prevention services or in elderly care in general and informal carers caring for an older family member at home are often older persons themselves

• Stakeholders: Local Communities, Organizations, Lifelong Learning Communities

• Project Dissemination via-Online and electronic medium: project

website, electronic newsletter. Non-electronic dissemination: articles, flyers,

publications in the media, etc. Interactive dissemination: personal

interaction in academic conferences, seminars and other events, clustering where possible with other projects of the LLP programme.

EUBiA: Getting Older People Involved in Learning

•Funded by: European Commission•Programme majorly implemented in Seven

Countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Poland, Slovakia

•Started in 2010•Objectives:

to respond to the challenges of an ageing population in Europe

to help to provide adults with pathways to improve their knowledge and competences

Activities involved • In-Service training In- practical teaching,

counselling, coaching and/or management skills.

• Visit and Exchanges Participants

• Workshops for Learners for personal development, any non-vocational topic relevant to adult education.

• Senior volunteering Projects : They enable senior volunteers to work for an organisation in another European country for any kind of non-profit making activity.

Experience from Australia

Broadband For Seniors• Funded by Australian Government • Started in 2008• Kiosks are located in places that seniors regularly

visit or that provide existing services, such as community centers, retirement villages, libraries and community clubs.

• Over 250,000 of Australia’s seniors have been benefited.

• Guidance and ongoing support provided in a friendly face-to-face environment by volunteer tutors, on topics such as how to email, surf-the-Internet, Skype and how to stay safe online.

Conclusion and Recommendation•Less no. of L3 Projects for elderly in India.•In India NGOs are found more focused for

elderly lifelong learning activities and their social engagement.

•GoI offer various schemes for health care for elderly but there is no provision of Lifelong learning courses specifically for them.

•elderly\Schemes National Portal of India.html

Computer Literacy

Recreational

ActivitiesHealth

Education

• L3 projects mainly focus on

• The L3 projects for elderly in Western countries are more in comparison to India.

• There is need to engage socially deprived and poor elderly in Lifelong learning activities.

• There is a need to initiate L3 projects especially for elderly in India to prevent them from social exclusion.

• Lifelong learning can be considered as a guiding principle on which the education system should be based.

Thank you!!!

References• http://www.harmonyindia.org/intractive/website.htm• http://www.tiss.edu/TopMenuBar/academic/independent-centres/centre-for-lifelong-learnin

g• http://www.rajliteracy.rajasthan.gov.in/iIndividual-interest.htm• http://www.ignou.ac.in/• http://

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/education/news/Senior-citizens-line-up-for-distance-learning-courses/articleshow/20142055.cms

• http://mhrd.gov.in/schemes• http://www.helpageindia.org/advocacy/advantage-groups.html• http://www.dignityfoundation.com/Dignity-Lifestyle-Retirement-Township.aspx• Broadband for seniors. (2015). Retrieved February 2015, from Adult Learning Australia:

https://ala.asn.au/broadband-for-seniors/• http://www.svliving.org/home• Manzoor AHMED, « Lifelong Learning in a Learning Society: Are Community Learning

Centres the Vehicle? », International Development Policy | Revue internationale de politique de développement [Online], 5.1 |  2014, Online since 18 November 2014, connection on 25 April 2016. URL : http://poldev.revues.org/1782 ; DOI : 10.4000/poldev.1782

• Singh J. (2008) Higher education and lifelong learning in India •

http://www.slideshare.net/JaidayalSingh/higher-education-and-lifelong-learning-in-india-dr-j-d-singh?qid=34c3fbb3-aa56-466c-b322-b76feb70e396&v=&b=&from_search=5