Follow the story - applied storytelling as a motivation and encouraging strategy in adult education

The project goal was to introduce applied storytelling as an effective strategy, which would encourage and motivate adults from rural areas (low-qualified in particular) to participate in non-formal learning. Addressing our activities to country educators, cultural, social and civic activists, and to low-qualified adult learners we wanted to show them how interesting, entertaining and also community building learning can be. The project Partnership consisted of three organisations operating in diverse rural regions: in areas close to the big cultural and educational centre, in touristic rural regions and in remote areas with poor infrastructure and hindered access to any services. The partners brought to the project their rich and complementary experience and expertise, which enabled us to develop an innovative approach to applied storytelling in adult education. The project activities were focused on developing practical propositions, together with “easy-digested” theoretical background and methodology, how to use applied storytelling for attracting and motivating low-qualified rural adults to learn. These activities included working out such topics as: the problems with adult education in rural areas, motivation – what it is and how to increase it, theoretical background of storytelling, ideas, practical propositions and inspirations together with some tips and guidelines for educators, how to use storytelling and its elements in adult education, trying some of our ideas out on diverse groups of low-qualified rural adults, by running our pilot activities, collecting exemplary, storytelling resources on local, national and international level. All of this made a base for developing our intellectual output – the practical manual (in EN, PL, LV,SK) for adult (especially rural) educators and activists.The project work was structured around 4 transnational meetings in each partner country (plus the final one in coordinator's country) and 9 on-line coordinators’ meetings. A very important part of the project was dissemination with some innovative elements, like “the project story” (presenting our project course in fairy-tall convention), and very successful multiplier events on local and international level. The project partners used every opportunity and means (including private) to disseminate project main idea and outputs on local, national and international level. We have managed to achieve all expected results and impacts, such as:-for rural educators and activists – increased awareness of the potential of applied storytelling in their work, improved professional capacity, including creativity, ICT, language, social and intercultural competences;-for our organisations - improved management and leadership competences, increased capacity and professionalism to work at EU/international level, strengthened cooperation between partner organizations; -for local communities - increased demand and take-up to undertake learning activities by low-qualified community members, greater effectiveness of activities adressed to local communities, developed the learning dimension of rural organisations not primarily concerned with education, more storytelling projects involving different sectors and community groups. We also successfully involve some European professional storytellers in our project and made them more aware of using storytelling in educational activities for adults, and encouraged them to disseminate it.The important achievement of this project was its activating effect on all levels: local, national and international. It resulted in increasing number of educational initiatives in partners environments and enhancing international exchange.