| Popis: |
24.4% of the European citizens still risk social exclusion. According to recent figures the rate of social exclusion differs per country and per target group. Based on recent societal developments (like the increase in youth unemployment and ageing population), it seems necessary to ensure that the increasing number of older people in Europe can actively be involved in European society, in addition to supporting youngsters in order to increase their social inclusion. Although several studies showed that education can increase social inclusion among learners, evidence is still lacking on whether intergenerational learning for youngsters and older people can increase social inclusion for these both groups. Generations Using Training for Social inclusion (GUTS) is a European project measuring the impact of intergenerational learning on social inclusion. One of the main goals of the GUTS project was to combine the strengths of older people and youngsters so that they can learn from each other and increase their skills in order to face daily problems in society. In line with the Europe 2020 Strategy GUTS aimed to decrease social exclusion via intergenerational learning projects. Ten learning areas (LA) were organized in five countries, namely: Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Latvia and The Netherlands. The results indicate that the intergenerational learning areas of the GUTS project stimulated the experienced increase in social inclusion of learners of both generations and that elements of the learning environment seem to influence this increase. More research is needed to explore the specific influence of these elements on both target groups older people and youngsters. |
