Research has shown that several target groups, including adult learners and adult education professionals, can best be reached in a journalistic manner. Therefore journalistic means, such as journalistic articles, campaigns, online media and mass media play an important role in raising the knowledge and awareness about learning as an adult. However, adult education institutions often do not have the professional staff experienced in media and journalistic activities. Adult educators do not know and are not trained on how to go about it and how to transfer the message in a journalistic way. This is the first project to address journalistic competence as an important professional competence of adult education staff. While some universities offer studies in adult education, we know that nevertheless there is a high number of adult education staff who does not have formal training in adult education and in particular in journalistic work. Therefore the main objective for the project is to increase the professionalization and quality within the adult education sector, with special focus on information work of adult education staff. Adult education actors must improve their competencies in communication in particular with the actors of other countries, backgrounds and cultures. The foundation and starting point of this strategic partnership is the European InfoNet Adult Education Grundtvig network (www.infonet-ae.eu), which has developed since 2005 and is now comprehensive information portal on adult education in Europe, based on professional journalistic contributions from correspondents all over Europe. Based on this experience, the consortium believes that disseminating information and reporting on trends, project/research results, developments, best practice and news in the area of adult all across Europe is needed. Therefore the main OBJECTIVES of the project are to: 1. Enhance adult educator’s competences through better training and understanding of - how to write journalistic articles for print and online media - how to report about adult education in mass media - how to increase adult educators’ competences in writing about adult education for a European audience - how to write for readers living in an another geographical, cultural, political and educational environment - how to write articles that are relevant and understandable for the target groups - how to write articles for EPALE 2. Awareness raising for and promoting of Adult Education in Europe through: - developing trainings and tools on how to improve people's awareness and knowledge on adult learning, which means an increase in the lifelong learning benchmark through journalistic activities - reaching and informing a wider European audience about adult education through journalistic means - professionalization of adult education staff on journalistic ways of working - providing incentives and expertise for the adult education community to initiate more journalistic activities on adult learning - awareness raising measures about the high numbers of persons with low literacy levels - improvement of the level of key competences and transversal skills of adult education staff - Enhancing ICT uptake in work of the adult education -sharing best practice examples on how to inform about low literacy levels among adults - exchanging experiences on how to reach disadvantaged learners (in particular with low literacy levels) - informing about and motivating national, regional and local policy makers to invest in LLL The project will develop its products in three phases: - Year 1 DEVELOPMENT: The first project year will focus on the development of the Intellectual Outputs: a Training tool box: “Journalism for adult educators” (O1) together with a simulation game “Journalism and literacy” (O2), an e-learning tool “Journalism for adult educators” (O3) including a handbook on webinar methodology (O4) and a brochure on "Informing Europe about Adult Education" (O5). - Year 2 TESTING: the second project year will be designated to the national consultation on the products developed. Partners will test the IOs in learning/training situations or ask experts for their feedback on the products. - Year 3 “ROLL-OUT”: during the final project year all partners will organise multiplier events on national levels in order to present and receive feedback to the project and its products. RESULTS - Adult educators, trainers and provider will share and receive good practice examples on how to write about adult education for an international audience and how to reach out in the best way to the target groups. They will profit from each other's innovations and knowledge and will have a broader knowledge about the mass-media coverage on adult education. - Policy-makers will receive better feedback from adult education institutions, which is based on better knowledge. They will get to know and use the European dimensions of adult education on a well-informed a