Italian teachers from the ELAN network visit Mími Continuing Education

Last week, we at Mímir welcomed seven teachers from Italy, who came as part of the ELAN (Erasmus Learning for Adult Needs) project. This partnership network of adult education institutions aims to improve access to Erasmus+ opportunities for adult learners and teachers across Europe.

About the ELAN organisation

The ELAN partnership is based in La Spezia, Italy. It offers a wide range of courses, from basic education and language courses to extensive further education for adults. The organisation has also organised numerous Erasmus+ trips for both adult learners and staff, including study visits to European institutions in Strasbourg and Brussels. ELAN's projects aim to foster a deeper understanding of European democracy and cultural diversity, as well as promoting active citizenship among participants.

Rich cultural media

Our Italian guests are experts in a wide range of fields, including foreign language teaching, hospitality, cookery, law and economics, art history and computer science. They all teach at a high level at adult education institutions.

The guests were very interested in different teaching methods in adult education and were particularly keen on the structure and activities of Mímis. They wanted to understand the Icelandic approach to further education from all perspectives. This created a fantastic opportunity for constructive and professional exchange of views, where we all learnt a great deal from one another.

Let's learn together

During their stay, the Italian teachers had the opportunity to observe two lessons at Mímí and even learn a little Icelandic along the way—they proudly learnt to say, „I'm not going to hang around at home tonight.“ We also had the privilege of learning the authentic Italian method for cooking the perfect mushroom risotto, and this delicious cultural exchange was the perfect end to the visit.

Building bridges through education

This visit demonstrates the value of international cooperation in adult education. Such visits not only deepen our understanding of different teaching methods but also strengthen the ties between European educational institutions. We look forward to continuing this collaboration with the ELAN organisation and exploring further opportunities for cooperation.

The visit reminded us once again that learning knows no borders and that sharing knowledge and cultural experience enriches both teachers and students.