SEAnior Leaders: 3 Study visits in Greece, Italy and Portugal foster knowledge exchange

With the aim to promote mutual learning and knowledge exchange among project partners, three study visits in Greece, Italy and Portugal took place in the context of the Erasmus + project “SEAnior Leaders”.

During the first visit in Athens, Greece (30 – 01/02/2023), MEDASSET introduced project partners into sea turtle conservation and the major threats these ancient mariners face. Climate change and sea temperature rise, acidification of the oceans, marine pollution especially from plastics, incidental catch of vulnerable species in fishing gear (bycatch), overfishing, illegal fishing and biodiversity loss were discussed among project partners. The second day of the study visit was dedicated to ageism and Startagers, through videos and live activities, introduced the concept of ageism to project partners and explained how we can change ageist attitudes.

Moreover, project partners had the chance to receive on the field training, by MEDASSET’s Environmental Education Officer Mr. Kostas Thomopoulos, on how they can easily measure sea water ph., temperature and possible pollution from oil spills. They also performed a beach cleanup and collected more than two big trash bags of litter, most of it plastic.

The study visit in Lecce, Italy followed (15 – 17/02/2023) and was organised by EduVita. Project partners had the chance to elevate their knowledge on lifelong learning and adult education. Among the highlights of the visit, was the lecture given by the professor of Pedagogy at the University of Salento, Mr. Piergiuseppe Ellerani, on lifelong learning. Project partner got familiar with the basics of adult education, as a tool against personal and societal ageism.

The third study visit, in the context of “SEAnior Leaders” project took place in Figueira da Foz, Portugal (20-22/03/2023) and was organised by Future Balloons. The team had the chance to dive deep into best practices with respect to didactic guidelines for seniors. Particularly, they studied the Age Wise project approach on how to address seniors. The digital tools for seniors were also presented through the summary review of the SEN4CE (Seniors for Circular Economy) project.