STUDY CIRCLES IN ITALY Province of Genoa

1. Provincia di Genova SOFIA 29 Marzo- 2 Aprile 2006 STUDY CIRCLES IN ITALY Province of Genoa

2. Province of Genoa: the land • 67 Municipalities grouped in 15 districts. • 871,733 people living, 47% males and 53% females, 601.338 inhabitants in the town of Genoa

3. Mission, organization and strategies Regional Government Province Represents its communities, fosters their interests, promotes their development Municipality

4. Mission, organization and strategies Areas: • protection of the soil and of the environment, protection of water resources • roads and transports, • safeguard of flora and fauna, hunting and fishing in inland waterways, • training and Labour Market Policies • Cultural Policies • Secondary schools

5. Provincia Administration Network the “Community of Communities” for supporting and enhancing the value of the Municipalities with a “global-local” approach.

6. Labour Market Active Policies Area • It aims to increase the opportunities for contact between citizens, employment promotion services and job demands • It provides counselling, education and training to assist people in their search for employment.

7. Labour Market Active Policies Area In accordance with the ESF and regional planning, the Area promotes activities related to: • Employment promotion and development • Equal opportunities and social inclusion • Local and sector growth

8. Study Circles: Background • Increasing adult population for whom traditional learning offers may be inappropriate • Increasing needs to facilitate the access of people with or without a job to educational individual pathways

9. WHY STUDY CIRCLES IN GENOA? • To support non formal and short training experiences • To give an answer when training is not available in the traditional educational system and is not present in each local community.

10. EXPERIMENTAL EDITION: 2004-05 • First call in October 2004 • A year after 59 study circles funded (29 informal groups) • Dealt topics: creative writing, hobbies, civics, local traditions, traditional crafts, modern technologies, theatre, cooking…

11. EXPERIMENTAL EDITION: 2004-05 Participants: 458 (298 over 40, priority age) Funds: 150.000,00 € 

12. SECOND CALL: 2005-06 The second call contains 4 deadlines: Nov 05, Jan 06, Mar 06, May 06 For the first two deadlines the results are: - 53 presented projects - 37 approved

13. WHAT THE SECOND CALL MANTAINS: Study Circle is an educational tool for groups of adults voluntarily meeting for a common interest, where: • Participants take responsibility for their own learning process • Study circle projects can be submitted by formal or informal group

14. WHAT THE SECOND CALL CHANGES: • Introduction of priority criteria • Reduction of fund for single circle • Simpler bureaucratic and administrative procedures

15. Priority criteria: Priority criteria: • Age (over 40) • Qualifications (low educational level) • Geographical location (rural and peripheral municipalities). Firstly the funds are targeted at projects having one or more priority. Non priority projects are funded with a ratio of 1 non pr. out of 3 priority.

16. Fund reduction for each circle • from a maximum of 2000€ (first call) to a max. of 1000€ (second call) • to plan circles capable of carrying out their activities also with even less resources

17. Simpler bureaucratic and administrative procedures • The project must contain the financial planning. At the end the circle presents the confirmation of the expenses • Introduction of the voucher tool instead of the refunding of expenses through credit payment to individual banks account

18. CRITERIA OF MERIT 1. • Analysis of motivations (max 15 p) • Evaluation of methodology and clarity of contents (max 15 p) • Characteristics of beneficiaries (max 15 p) • Intergenerational nature of project (max 5 p)

19. Willingness by Circles to freely exchange tools and knowledge with other circles(max 5 p.) • Presentations of the Circles activities to the Community (max 5 p.) • Economic needs (max 5 p.) • Equal opportunities (max 16 p.) • Information Society (max 4 p.)

20. Publicity: how to reach priority beneficiaries • Organization of informative meetings at local municipal office and at central desks • distribution of information material at the desks of decentralised towns, in the major city libraries and inside the main means of transport.

21. A Study Circle: Wangari Maathai • The circle was composed of three italian women and nine from different African countries. • This circle was promoted by an association, Afet Aquilone who works with migrants. • The aim was to Know the richness of the African traditions through the personal history of the participants. • The output of the circle is a book which collects the description of the women’s history. It was officially presented in a public event last week.

22. Circles support Agency: Città dei Mestieri -Job Centre: • Promoting activities e technical assistance for the presentation of proposals • Monitoring of Study Circles during their activities: formal documents, periodical visits of a sample of Study circles, questionnaire for participants • Periodical meetings with Study Circle representatives