Mezigenerační vzdělávání v česko - slovenském kontextu

"<< Background >>In relation to recent social challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, we began the project with the objective of contributing to lessening the growing social tension and division in society. Considering that the aforementioned events contributed in fundamental ways to the deepening of divisions between social and age groups in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia, we focused our project on educating pedagogues teaching subjects in the humanities on the topics of modern history and intergenerational dialogue with an emphasis on current problems and challenges. When planning the project, we simultaneously took into consideration the reality that there is insufficient space given to the teaching of 20th century Czechoslovak history in primary and secondary schools. Even when the fundamental events of the last century are being discussed, emphasis is usually placed on the history of one of the two states, which lowers the mutual interest and attention given to the other state’s history. For this reason, a key element of our project was the linking of Czech and Slovak organizations, allowing for the sharing of experiences and strengthening mutual understanding.<< Objectives >>In implementing our project, we are setting ourselves the objective of strengthening intergenerational dialogue in Czech and Slovak education. We want to strengthen effective communication and mutual learning between generations. We know from experience that creating a platform for this kind of communication contributes to overcoming social and cultural barriers. For this reason, we will focus on supporting pedagogues from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and through the implementation of project activities we will ensure the integration of historical and civic topics relating to the 20th century in Czechoslovakia into their lesson plans. Considering that our project is striving to heighten civic engagement and support of democratic values among students, the project also includes the creation of an online platform which will serve as an inspiration source for teachers and educators. This web platform will therefore make possible the use of tried and tested methods and educational materials which present significant events of the last century in an innovative way through the use of eyewitness memories. The project therefore has the end objective of creating stronger and mutually respectful societies.<< Implementation >>As part of the project we organized a Czecho-Slovak summer school of intergenerational dialogue during which participants were familiarized with the tried and tested methods of the educational projects and programs of both organizations. They were able to try out for themselves activities using the principles of oral history, such as filming and further processing the story of an eyewitness. Another main activity of the project was a conference in Slovakia which provided space for discussing and sharing tested and tried practices in the area of modern history not only among pedagogues, but also experts from other fields of study as well as the broader public. A further part of the project was the development of a web platform which serves as an inspirational source for teachers. It offers didactically prepared primary sources and instructions for their use in the classroom. Two exchange visits between the Czech and Slovak organizations were also part of the project. These visits allowed the Czech and Slovak staff to share know-how and to plan common educational strategies even after the conclusion of the project.<< Results >>The Czecho-Slovak summer school trained 24 pedagogues from both countries in the methods of intergenerational dialogue, equipped them with practical skills for work with eyewitnesses, and provided tools for the implementation of these methods in schools. The ""Slobodní studenti [Free Students]"" conference gathered 95 pedagogues, students, and educators who shared experiences and practices for improving educational processes. Despite challenges in its development, our web platform now provides teachers access to a wide range of primary sources and didactical materials which are key to understanding Czecho-Slovak history. The two exchange visits between the organizations involved significantly contributed to the sharing of know-how and the coordination of educational strategies, strengthening the cooperation and effectiveness of both teams. Overall, the project heightened awareness of the importance of intergenerational education in the Czechoslovak context and of its importance for social cohesion, affecting not only the pedagogues involved, but also their students and wider communities."