Knowing Me Knowing You
Aims and objectives
The project aim was to create a space for post-16 education and training practitioners working in formal and non-formal adult education sectors within the European Union and beyond, annually for three years, to develop a shared understanding of multicultural education and present a range of curriculum solutions as good practice guides.
The aim was to combine theory and practice through conducting practice-based seminars and workshops comprising practitioners and learners from different adult education and training organisations, countries and cultures. The primary aims of these workshops are to identify what the key issues are in multicultural education, to develop new methods of working and to trial these new methods in sheltered workshop conditions.
In addition the project sought to use the shared knowledge and understanding obtained through the practice-based seminars and workshops to act as a catalyst for stimulating discussion and debate on multicultural education within the partners’ own institutions. Indeed, the practical information/resources gathered from the practice-based workshops presented a clear opportunity to make significant inroads into improving teachers’/educators’ ability to develop a curriculum that recognises the needs and aspirations of learners from different cultural backgrounds.
Activities and lessons learned
Initially there should have been 10 participating organisations; however, one of them did not get funding for the activity and another two voluntarily decided not to participate in the project. There are currently seven organisations participating in the project.
The Knowing Me Knowing You learning partnership team has organised three meetings every year of the three-year project. The working meeting in Manchester, United Kingdom; then in Vestby, Norway and in Svaty Jur in Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece and Ireland. All these meetings focused on the presentation of concrete activities of the participating organisations. In the project plan it was agreed that each participating organisation would contribute to the production of good practice, which will be disseminated to all project partners. Each partner contributed their expertise in adult education by presenting workshops (which included methods as well as resources) at each of the project meetings. Each partner involved in hosting a project meeting also contributed a lot in terms of offering hospitality, which contributed tremendously to the working environment and subsequent learning.
All working meetings have taken place as planned. The project team is composed of seven organisations with one coordinating organisation. The working contexts of the various partners are increasingly multicultural. The visits are co-coordinated by the host organisation. The project partners communicated by email before and after each project meeting as necessary - i.e. to set agendas and gather reports. During project meetings there was intensive direct personal communication between partners, which was deliberately designed as a facet of the project. Communication was very effective between the partners and greatly enhanced the work and working relationships.
Achievements
During the project a critical understanding of multicultural and non-formal education was developed. Intercultural training and participative learning methods were shared with partners from other countries; intercultural training methods were enhanced, adapted or created . A ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ manual has been compiled in hard copy and for the website which includes all the training materials devised for or used in our learning partnership.
During all meetings the following have been achieved:
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Each participating organisation produced a briefing paper on the activity (workshop) they organised. |
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Each participating organisation had the possibility to run a planned activity. |
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Each participating organisation had a clear sense of what they hoped to achieve through the partnership project. |
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Each participating organisation had the possibility to evaluate the project. |
AWAD International Network discovered new ways of using African women’s arts and cultural heritage for educational learning in this environment. The fact that AWAD was able to engage with other European organisations was a very valuable experience. The visits to other European countries provided an opportunity to develop respect for others and their cultures.
Materials produced
Various partners created useful resources to be used long after the project has ended; for example, Lithuanian partners produced a booklet on youth culture and also took the initiative in designing and compiling the ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ manual.
AWAD produced ‘Our Way of Life’ booklet.
Partners produced a set of three posters for each partner organisation to be used as tools in intercultural work .
Norway produced a cookbook and created a web page on its website for the ‘Knowing Me Knowing You’ project. See: http://www.follo.fhs.no/core/internasjonal/english/gru2_en.html
Greece produced a DVD of the three-year project.
AWAD organised a series of dissemination events to present the methods learnt at Knowing Me Knowing You events. One of the events was a training day offered to Groundwork Trust managers in Birmingham and to staff of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester and for adults working with children and young people. At the end of the project, AWAD plans to produce a learning manual which will be available on its website and in hard copy.
AWAD designed and carried out an exhibition, seminar and training for teachers and environmental organisation managers in mainstream settings. We produced photographs in CD format and a written publication for local-global intercultural learning methodologies. This has been disseminated via seminars, events and training and it is being developed as part of a long-term strategy.
All these have led AWAD into developing long-term strategy by having the Institute of Intercultural Learning and Communication summit held in Hull on 29 June 2006. The Institute of Intercultural Learning and Communication is becoming a registered charity and will be the first of its kind in England. The Institute will be working collaboratively with its Knowing Me Knowing You partners. Its main aim is to promote intercultural learning and communication as a viable methodology for 21st century global education and sustainable society. The Institute of Intercultural Learning and Communication (TILC) will be delivering three major training programmes every year. The taster training is set for November 2006, the date and venue will be announced later.
As 2007 is the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, AWAD has formed a coalition of African organisations, non-African organisations and a number of museums to have ‘Freedom For All’, a national programme that will develop intercultural learning and communication activities in various regions. The programme will culminate in a big celebration at Westminster Hall in October 2007.
During the year, African community organisations’ main focus will be tracing their ancestors’ footsteps, living arts and stories in various museums, libraries and archives. These living arts and stories acquired during explorer and Colonial periods will be resources that AWAD can use for the TILC programme using the Knowing Me Knowing You methodology.
Partnership organisations/countries
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Lithuania |
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Denmark |
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Slovakia |
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Norway |
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Greece |
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Ireland |
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England |
Learner involvement
Learners were involved as part of AWAD activities. Grassroots African women, many of whom are refugees and migrants, were learners in the project. Learners’ involvement was an integral part of the project and it influenced the direction of the project. During a meeting in England, 25 learners attended the planning workshops and took an active part in project planning and meetings in European countries. AWAD learners played a valuable role in the project (see examples below).
In Dublin – National Farmer’s Union Lady President (AWAD
learner) and African woman (AWAD learner) presenting AWAD learning exercise to
other participants.
In Slovakia - learning method exercise which AWAD
learner was amongst them.
AWAD learning methods presentation at AWAD centre in
Manchester and in Lithuania.
AWAD learner and trainer presenting a learning exercise.
AWAD learner presentation of learning methodologies.
Intercultural Learning and Communication.
Impact
On the organisation
As a grassroots migrant women-led organisation, the project enabled
participants to learn and share cultural knowledge and experiences. It also
enabled the organisation to develop methods of enhancing adult learning in this
environment.
The project has also furthered the work of AWAD in African and wider communities, regionally and nationally. AWAD’s target groups are mainly grassroots African women, community groups, leaders and mainstream bodies’ managers/teachers. Participants had an opportunity to learn and organise intercultural learning events, exhibitions and seminars.
AWAD linked with farming communities, which led to English women farmers’ participation in the project as learners. AWAD learners and teachers carried out African perspective presentations on community cohesion and civic society.
AWAD developed its confidence, ability and understanding of how to work with diverse people from European countries for mutual benefit and on an equal basis. For the first time, grassroots African women are treated with respect for their cultural values and not placed in a subordinate position, nor are they made to feel that their culture is less valuable in the learning/education arena. Knowing Me Knowing You has opened up opportunities for AWAD to learn how to develop training tools that value African women’s cultural knowledge.
From the three-year experience of Grundtvig 2, AWAD has developed itself as an organisation of reference for intercultural learning in England and is now emerging as the first institute in England with intercultural experience. AWAD hopes to develop the project through increased involvement with Grundtvig and Socrates projects. The Institute of Intercultural Learning and Communications is having its first summit on 29June 2006 in Hull. It is to be hosted by the University of Leeds at the Wilberforce Institute of Slavery and Emancipation in Hull. The Institute of Intercultural Learning and Communications has been offered a building at a heritage site in Chelmsford in Essex. It is our hope that the Grundtvig project as a model of good practice will extend the British Council’s training and education practices.
On staff
AWAD staff have become more knowledgeable and have been able to use the new
resources for intercultural work. AWAD trainers now have more exercises to
choose from when working in an intercultural context in England. The team from
AWAD who have been part of the project have enjoyed a rich experience,
which has built confidence and competence in working in an intercultural
context. For example, as a result of piloting a workshop on the experience of
death in different cultures during the learning partnership meeting in Slovakia,
trainers would now be better placed to run such a workshop with groups in
England. Likewise, there have been many exercises on culture and identity, which
have been piloted in an intercultural context during the learning partnership,
which trainers now feel more confident to use. The team that gained from the
project are constantly delivering AWAD training. In this way, their experience
is being passed on to the other trainers both inside and outside the
organisation.
On adult learners
This project offered grassroots African women access to explore, utilise and
share their cultural knowledge and experiences with people from various European
countries.
On outside bodies
AWAD International Network used resources from the project to develop
organisations delivering adult learning. The three main activities carried out
as a result were an exhibition ‘English Tea Heritage’ in collaboration with the
Museum of Science and Industry, Manchester, which had over 350,000 visitors with
workshops for over 5,000 people; a seminar entitled ‘The Understanding of
African Children’s Cultural Background’ which attracted over 50 adult
participants; and a local-global intercultural training programme for adults
working in mainstream settings. AWAD has adapted strategies for providing
intercultural learning/training for mainstream bodies in the private, public and
voluntary sectors in order for them to enhance their delivery methods.
Organisations include the Groundwork Trust and the English Rural Cultural Forum.
Contact details
Name, organisation and address:
AWAD International Network
(African Women’s Arts, Culture & Development)
P.O. Box 203
Manchester
M13 0WZ
Telephone no:0161 4845627 07733 443967
Email:
awaduk@btinternet.comwebsite: www.awad.org.uk
Classification Data
Project focus:
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Active citizenship |
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Essential skills |
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Inter-generational learning |
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Cultural/multi-cultural |
X |
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ICT and learning |
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Foreign languages |
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Other* |
Grundtvig 2 (Learning Partnerships)
UK project base:
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East Midlands |
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East of England |
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London |
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North East |
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Northern Ireland |
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North West |
X |
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Scotland |
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South East |
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South West |
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Wales |
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West Midlands |
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Yorkshire and the Humber |
