At the outbreak of the epidemic, EPALE wanted to support adult educators with an entirely new EPALE Community Stories initiative and enable them to connect, inspire and share experiences. The initiative was created with the goal of involving all members of the EPALE community in storytelling, thus alleviating the feeling of isolation. They were expected to share with others questions about everyday life and the challenges of educational activities during the pandemic. The response from members of the EPALE community has been great. We received many stories in a short period, and as many as 114 were included in the Community Storybook 2020, including the story of Darja Kušar from Slovenska Bistrica AEC. The Storybook is a mosaic full of impressions, put together in challenging times by passionate adult educators. The stories are divided into four main categories: social inclusion, basic skills, culture, work skills. You can read more about the Community Storybook in the news on the EPALE website and access the EPALE Community Storybook by logging into the platform at this link.
At the end of April, a new edition of the EPALE 2021 Community Stories initiative was launched; therefore, make a decision as soon as possible and contribute your inspirational story. Share it with the community, receive responses and compete for publication in this year’s Community Storybook and a symbolic reward. This year, the focus will be on the EPALE 2021 Thematic Focuses, i. e. life and work skills, inclusive social change for sustainability and fairness, digital transition and the opportunities of blended learning. We invite you to share with us exciting stories from the current Erasmus+ projects you are involved in, interesting aspects and your experiences as an adult educator, stories about how your job has changed during recent years and your views on future challenges in ALE and your specific area of interest. You can submit your stories until October 29, when the call closes. We suggest you hurry, as the first 100 stories published will be rewarded.
The first EPALE Community Story, Storytelling in ALE, has already been published on our website. It was created within the Erasmus+ StoryComp project, in which Jesenice AEC participates as a partner. Their story speaks about the potential of storytelling in ALE.Visit the new EPALE website and co-create its content with us, register or log in to your user account, select the appropriate category (news, blog, resource or event) and suggest new content for publication!
Špela Močilnikar (spela.mocilnikar@cmepius.si), CMEPIUS
