This year we printed the slogan Slovenia, a learning country in large green letters on sunny yellow-orange posters. Perhaps that helped bring sunshine to the key events of Lifelong Learning Weeks 2026, wherever they took place.
At the SIAE, we traditionally take on national coordination. Of course, none of this would be possible without the organisations that make lifelong learning part of their strategies and everyday practice. This year, 39 local and thematic coordinators, working with a wide range of providers, made nearly 6,000 events possible, all aimed at awareness-raising of the value of learning and knowledge. They are funded by the ministry responsible for education. In planning and delivering the events, providers showed great creativity, resourcefulness and innovation in awareness-raising. The strong connection with local communities was evident throughout the events.
Thank you for your work, events and posts, for building connections, awareness-raising of lifelong learning and actively promoting the recipients of the 2026 SIAE Awards for Lifelong Learning. More than 10,000 votes were cast in the public online vote – almost twice as many as last year! This shows that the new system for selecting the Best Lifelong Learning Story has been well received. The dedication and enthusiasm of everyone involved – coordinators, a diverse range of organisers, the media and numerous partners – made the events vibrant, varied and truly special.
Let us take a look at some of the highlights that have stayed with us.
Between Solzice and the written word
The recipients of the SIAE Awards are the clearest proof that learning changes lives for the better. We have presented these awards for almost three decades, and over that time have collected more than 250 stories of individuals, groups and organisations who, driven by a desire for knowledge, have grown personally while contributing to the development of their communities. Presenting their stories is an important part of every National Opening. You can read more about them, and why they were selected from among 45 candidates, in Darijan’s article.
Fittingly, the National Opening was a festive occasion, taking place on a sunny Friday, 8 May. We organised the event at the Slovenj Gradec Culture House in cooperation with MOCIS, the local adult education centre. You can read about this wonderful event – marked by the written word, tears and Solzice – in an article published in the previous issue of the SIAE Newsletter.
Learning Parade and a study visit from Estonia
On Wednesday, 20 May, squares, streets and town centres came alive in seventeen locations across Slovenia – two of them decided to hold the event without receiving funding. In some places, organisers opted for a joint indoor stage programme, while stands were set up outside. They decorated the stands with balloons and their faces with broad smiles. Local coordinators – usually adult education centres or institutions primarily dedicated to adult education – brought together numerous organisations and individuals, including businesses. Across Slovenia, people could talk about learning, inclusion and participation in the community. Representatives of health promotion centres, libraries, schools and kindergartens, local associations, folklore groups, choirs and many others offered information, games and opportunities for conversation. At the Learning Parade, sports tournaments are more about socialising than competing. The SIAE staff attended almost all of the events.
LLW project leader Urška Bittner Pipan and her colleague Mateja Pečar were joined by our guests from the Estonian organisation Andras on their visits to Slovenska Bistrica and Radeče. Highlights from both the Learning Parade and the study visit are featured in separate articles. As the photographs show, the weather was very much on our side on those days too.
We ended the anniversary Adult Education Colloquium with a cake
The Resolution on the Adult Education Master Plan 2022–2030 is entering its second half, making this a good time for an interim evaluation. Where do we stand and what does the monitoring tell us at this point? These were the questions we explored at the 30th Adult Education Colloquium, a professional event organised by the SIAE as part of LLW.
Quality Day
Alongside the Learning Parade, Quality Day is another joint LLW initiative. It brings together adult education organisations with quality counsellors, members of quality commissions and holders of the Green Quality Logo, as well as some schools belonging to the Association of Slovene Higher Vocational Colleges and other organisations that contribute to the quality of adult education. This year’s highlights from five institutions are presented in a separate article (in Slovenian). Many of us from the SIAE gathered near Ljubljana and devoted the day to professional reflection on the quality of our work, planning our future development together and strengthening a culture of quality within the organisation.
Curiosity enriches life
The selection of the Best Lifelong Learning Story is not a competition. Every candidate for a SIAE Award is already a winner who has achieved a goal. By acquiring, using and sharing knowledge and skills, they have improved their own quality of life while helping others gain new insights. Twelve received awards, but only one was selected as the Best Lifelong Learning Story. This year, a candidate from the Primorsko-notranjska region won the title. “Intensive learning across a wide range of subjects opened up opportunities for him to engage with different local communities,” said Janja Urbiha, who put Mario Žnidaršič forward for the award and is herself a recipient of a SIAE Award (2016). This year’s Best Lifelong Learning Story is a classic example of an adult becoming actively involved in the local community after retirement. The camera his colleagues gave him for his 50th birthday was not enough to bring about such a change on its own. A person has to take the first step, then the second and the third – and a new career can open up before them. Mario’s presentation (in Slovenian) is available on the Lahko.si website.
The You can be an inspiration! event, held immediately after the conclusion of LLW 2026, featured a rich musical programme designed by Boštjan Gombač, who actively involved the audience. This made it another excellent learning opportunity for everyone present. Our thanks go to the Šmarje pri Jelšah Library for a wonderful event and an unforgettable atmosphere. The music and memories of the event stayed with us through the summer.
Looking ahead
This year’s LLW have left their mark. Anyone involved in activities of this kind cannot help but be moved by encounters with people who are learning. We hope we have also reached some of those who may not have realised how curiosity can grow into new interests, connections and sources of fulfilment. It may start small, but small things can grow into something much bigger. The creativity of coordinators and event providers seems to know no bounds. We are delighted to have brought so many smiles and embraces. Would you like to see them? Visit the SIAE Facebook page, the LLW Facebook page and the LLW Instagram account.
Ana Peklenik (ana.peklenik@acs.si), SIAE