About This Course
Adult education has always had a political dimension. From the Scandinavian folk high school tradition to community education movements across Europe, adult learning has been understood as a tool for civic empowerment and democratic participation. In 2026, with democratic institutions under pressure, this tradition has never been more important.
This course gives adult education professionals a thorough, inspiring and practically grounded engagement with active citizenship education for adults. Participants explore the research on adult civic learning, develop practical approaches to facilitating democratic values and critical thinking, and design learning experiences that develop civic agency in adult learners.
The course is aligned with the Council of Europe CDC framework, the EU Democracy Action Plan, the European Agenda for Adult Learning and the Erasmus+ Participation in Democratic Life priority.
Who Should Attend
- Adult educators working with civic education, community engagement or social change goals
- Non-formal education practitioners working with civil society and community groups
- Migration and integration workers supporting newcomers' civic participation
- Youth workers and community learning professionals
- Library and information professionals with community engagement roles
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course participants will be able to:
Explain EU and Council of Europe frameworks for adult citizenship education and connect them to practice.
The Council of Europe CDC framework, UNESCO's Global Citizenship Education and the EU Democracy Action Plan all provide specific guidance on citizenship education for adults. You will connect your work to all of them in Erasmus+ reporting.
Facilitate civic dialogue and deliberation in adult learning groups.
Democratic practice is best learned through democratic practice. You will have a range of deliberative democracy techniques: structured academic controversy, deliberative polling and community conversations that develop genuine democratic competence.
Design adult learning programmes that develop critical media literacy and resistance to disinformation.
Disinformation is one of the most serious threats to democratic participation. Adult education professionals are uniquely placed to develop the critical media literacy that protects democracy at community level.
Support adult learners in developing civic agency and confidence to participate in democratic life.
Many adults feel disconnected from democratic processes, convinced their participation makes no difference. Civic agency is a learnable disposition. You will know how to develop it through carefully designed learning experiences.
A 7-Day Professional Development Experience
Five days of intensive training with a structured arrival day and cultural excursion. We tailor every programme to your organisation's needs.
Welcome dinner and orientation walk.
Guided cultural excursion. Departure at convenience.
This outline is a starting point. Contact us to discuss how we can tailor this programme for your organisation.
EU Policy Alignment
EU Priority Alignment
EU Competence Frameworks
EU Policy Initiatives
Available Locations and Dates
Check the dates page for current availability.
Check Dates and Availability