The Open University of Čakovec (POU Čakovec) is pleased to announce its participation as a partner in the new Erasmus+ project for Cooperation partnerships in adult education, titled “Seniors’ Media Awareness & Resilience in the Digital Age – SMART AGE” (KA220-ADU). The project has been officially approved for funding by the Agency for Mobility and EU Programmes.
With a total budget of €250,000, the project will commence in December 2025 and will be implemented over a two-year period, concluding in November 2027.
Project Aims and Importance
The primary objective of the SMART AGE project is to enhance the media literacy of senior citizens by equipping them with the essential skills to critically assess digital content, identify disinformation, and navigate media generated by artificial intelligence. In today’s digital age, where seniors are often exposed to the risks of disinformation and online scams, this project aims to foster their digital resilience and ensure confident participation in the digital world, with a particular focus on those living in rural areas.
Key Project Activities
Throughout its two-year duration, the project consortium will focus on delivering the following key results:
- Development of an Innovative Curriculum: A comprehensive curriculum for media literacy will be created, based on a system of micro-credentials and tailored to the specific needs and interests of older learners.
- Creation of a MOOC Platform: An interactive online learning platform (MOOC) will be established, offering a completely free 75-hour course accessible to anyone online.
- Pilot Testing: The developed educational content will undergo a testing phase with the target group to ensure its relevance, clarity, and the highest quality.
- Stakeholder and Public Events: A series of regional events and a final conference will be organized to present the project’s achievements and results.
- Awareness Campaign: An extensive information campaign will be implemented to raise awareness about the importance of media literacy, aiming to reach over 25,000 people.
International Partnership
We are proud to be collaborating on this important project with the lead partner, Bildungshaus Retzhof GmbH from Austria, and partners from Slovenia (Ljudska univerza Ormož) and Belgium (Institut für Demokratiepädagogik – VoG). Through this partnership, we will jointly contribute to the development of innovations in adult education at the European level.
We look forward to the start of the project and the opportunities it will bring to our senior citizens. For more information on the progress of the SMART AGE project, please follow our website.
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