The University of Bologna - Department of Education Studies together with the University of Macerata - Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism will host the

11th Conference of the ESREA Research Network on Education and Learning of Older Adults (ELOA)

(ONLINE)

CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES OF INTERGENERATIONAL EDUCATION IN LIFELONG LEARNING SOCIETIES

Older adult education is a wide and rich field involving many different environments. Since its beginning, this educational sector has been conceived as a strategic for fostering seniors' active participation. During the last years, due to social and demographic changes and the consequently increasing coexistence between generations, older adults’ education became more and more oriented to increase active citizenship and intergenerational dialogue and solidarity (Ripamonti, 2009). Many educational contexts for older adults have been designed as intergenerational learning environments, where people could meet and share significant living experiences amongst generations and social groups. In fact, the promotion of positive intergenerationality (Saraceno, 2008) has been recognized to be a very powerful instrument for people’s empowerment, especially when facing personal or collective difficulties and traumas. 

The pandemic disruption crashed into our learning and teaching environments and relationships and forced them to quickly redesign their features. This innovation has been very strong and prompt in schools and higher education, due to the need of guaranteeing continuity to compulsory education and training. 

What is happening to non-formal education? Are the educational environments dealing with intergenerational dialogue involved as well in the pandemic and post-pandemic redesign? Is distance and/or blended learning a challenge/possibility for such fields? Is the dialogue between generations still central in the educational debate? What about the future scenarios of lifelong learning societies? 

Scientific committee: Rosita Deluigi, Elena Luppi, Bernhard Schmidt-Hertha

Organisational committee: Aurora Ricci, Elisa Bruni