The ENHANCE Matrix - European level
IMPACT: 5
Impactful with challenges
Accessible and impactful
Agora LaVerneda
StudyCircles
Foundation Skills
Peace Studies
LeE
EuropeanAlternatives
Access: 12
Access: 4
Ufafabrik
Ambassadricesde l’égalité
Photo Language
The Zinneke Project
IMPACT: 1
Significant challenges
Accessible with low impact
The ENHANCE Matrix - Sweden
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
SocialEntrepreneur
Access: 12
Access: 4
BirkagårdenStudent Council
My Story – Our Agenda
We build together – the Transition Building
The FolkHigh School
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix- Ireland
My Voice,My Choice
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
Student Council Tipperary ETB
My Voice, My Choice
LibertiesWeavers
Access: 12
Access: 4
Davina Project
Pathfinders Gorey
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - The Netherlands
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
RuimtevoorInvloed
Access: 12
Access: 4
Ervaringsraad
RefugeeHelp
Quality for me is... says the learner
Development company with Learning Lab
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - Austria
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
CitizenScience Projekt
das kollektiv
Access: 12
Access: 4
BigSiblingKollektiv
dig_mit!
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - Hungary
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
BeyondWalls
Neighbourhood Academy
Access: 12
Access: 4
Participatory budget in Schools
This is our theatre
Public opinion
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - Switzerland
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
Access: 12
Access: 4
Zurich Learning Center
Femmes-Tische/Männer-Tische
fide
Botschaftergruppen Grundkompetenzen
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - All practices
European
European
IMPACT: 5
Sweden
Sweden
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
Ireland
Ireland
The Netherlands
Austria
Hungary
Switzerland
Access: 12
Access: 4
IMPACT: 1
Significant challenges
Accessible with low impact
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
My Story – Our Agenda
General considerations
Short summary
In My Story - Our Agenda, the focus is on the participants' own experiences and stories. The work is based on the individual's own story and commitment and links them to the 2030 Agenda's global goals. By starting from the personal, the ambition is that Agenda 2030 will be broken down into something tangible that creates a sense of being part of a larger context and that work for change is possible at all levels.
Educators have a very important role in enabling participants to express themselves and be listened to. Their responsibility is to create safe and trusting spaces that allow participants' fears to be overcome and self-esteem to grow. This is particularly important when working with vulnerable groups.
Educators need to be able to balance between providing support when needed and stepping back to hand over responsibility to participants when they are ready.
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Key words
Botschaftergruppen Grundkompetenzen
General considerations
Short summary
Access to basic skills is characterised by a paradox: those who need it most tend to educate themselves the least. Only a small proportion of those affected take advantage of existing educational opportunities in the area of basic skills. One reason for this is that those affected often do not trust themselves to be able to learn these skills and sometimes are also not aware of the added value of a course.
Raising awareness of basic skills: A network of ambassadors is to be set up in all Swiss language regions with the aim of motivating those affected to attend a course. Those directly affected should use their voice to raise awareness among the general public about basic skills and provide them with information. They should also encourage others to take part in courses and thus improve their basic skills.
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Pathfinders Gorey, Co Wexford
General considerations
Short summary
Pathfinders Gorey is a unique, bottom-up initiative developed to equip adults with autism with the skills and experience needed to access mainstream education. At its core, the initiative emphasized the importance of self-advocacy. For adults with autism, self-advocacy can manifest in small but meaningful ways—such as being able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ expressing preferences for clothing, or engaging with tutors in a manner that reflects understanding and trust in their relationship.
Certain processes and systems are often followed simply because they have always been in place, and while they may have good intentions, they can sometimes unintentionally silence learners' voices. When structures prioritise organizational needs over individual learners, learners may find themselves adapting to a system rather than the system adapting to them.
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Key words
Citizen Science Projekt -The Psychological is Participatory
General considerations
Short summary
The perspectives of clients who are women and gender-expansive people have rarely been considered in the history of psychology. Disadvantaged women* in particular are often rarely heard, for example migrant women or single parents affected by poverty. This collaborative research project explores the life stories of women who seek assistance from counseling centers.
What practices encouraged greater openness and expression from learners? Respectful interaction, appreciation, competence orientation, informal learning atmosphere, self-reflection by teachers, creative methods. Moreover, it was essential that counselors and clients engage in separate workshops. This separation ensured ethical integrity, fostered open participation, prevented role confusion, and prioritized the emotional well-being of the clients.
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Key words
#BeyondWalls action pedagogy project
General considerations
Short summary
The #BeyondWalls project is an action education initiative that aims to get students to carry out sustainability projects outside the school walls, in response to local and global problems, with active community participation. The project involves students choosing, planning and implementing a project based on their own interests, with teachers acting as mentors and facilitators.
What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Open and honest communication, facilitating and mentoring roles, ensuring learners' active participation and democratic decision-making all promote learners' voices.
What settings are more conducive to learners expressing themselves openly? Learning environments where students can question, debate, collaborate and learn along their own interests are more conducive to open expression.
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We build together – the Transition Building
General considerations
Short summary
It's a semester long folk high school course. In the course participants spend half their weeks with teachers either at Billströmska Folk High School or in the surrounding community meeting and working with local initiatives of various kinds. The rest of their week they spend building a small house at the Egnahemsfabriken, a rurally located maker space focused on supporting self-organized building practices.
As for example it has been stressed that what is co-created is mainly the course culture and practical problem solving, not the plan for the house that is being built. Different practices as checking in in the beginning and end of the day, class meetings, the “participants bid” and encouraging shared responsibility for everyones safety when doing construction work have also been mentioned.
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Key words
Photo language about international solidarity
General considerations
Short summary
This activity can be used to prepare young people for international mobility and get them to think about the challenges of international solidarity. More specifically, this workshop addresses the relationship between northern and southern countries.
To encourage openness of learners' voices, it is necessary to define a framework (don't interrupt, don't discriminate, listen to each other, etc.) so that everyone feels comfortable and confident. If there are many participants, it is best to split them into sub-groups. Indeed, it is easier for shy people to speak up in a small group.
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European Alternatives
General considerations
Short summary
The initiative aims to center participants' needs through a learner-driven approach, focusing on creating community-based learning environments that empower participants to actively engage and develop skills. Programs are co-designed with input from learners, addressing societal challenges, such as precarious labor conditions and unpaid care work, while promoting transformative learning.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Over-reliance on gatekeepers or dominant voices; focusing on trending issues rather than group-specific needs. What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Structured feedback mechanisms, fostering trust, and promoting co-learning environments.
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Key words
My Story – Our Agenda
Form/Type/Methodology
General Consideration
Formal/informal/non-formal:
Educators have a very important role in enabling participants to express themselves and be listened to. Their responsibility is to create safe and trusting spaces that allow participants' fears to be overcome and self-esteem to grow. This is particularly important when working with vulnerable groups. Educators need to be able to balance between providing support when needed and stepping back to hand over responsibility to participants when they are ready.
Semi-formal. General courses (Allmän linje) are recognised by the formal education system and provide opportunities for further study at tertiary level, but are not heavily regulated by set curricula.
Theme
My Story - Our Agenda, I - We - the World
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das kollektiv
General considerations
Short summary
The motto of the organisation is “transformation through education”. das kollektiv is a place for critical educational work. Counselling and cultural work are carried out in dialog or intertwined with it. We understand das kollektive as a place of exchange, criticism, resistance and collective design. In conjunction with and in addition to the courses, many processes and projects, discussions and actions take place here.
The following is a partial list of practices that a team of educators reflected on and thought was important to encourage openness of participants’ voices: Listen attentively and ensure understanding by asking clarifying questions and repeating concerns. Make representatives feel comfortable, avoiding criticism or lecturing them. Allow participants to speak first, and discuss concerns calmly as a team before providing feedback. (...)
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The Foundation skills for social change program
General considerations
Short summary
The Foundation skills for social change program is an initiative that equips grassroots leaders in trade unions and community organisations with theoretical, analytical & technical foundation skills to build organisations & contribute to a global knowledge community of worker educators. The program consists of courses which are conducted mostly online on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy platform.
Actions that tend to silence learners’ voices: Challenges in their local contexts e.g. war, local conflict, laws which prevented them from attending the sessions. Practices that encourages openness oflearners’ voices: Providing many opportunities to voice their opinions, lead discussions, exploring more with popular education methods during facilitated sessions, e.g. roleplay, poem writing.
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Key words
Peace Studies program
General considerations
Short summary
Peace Studies grew out of direct activist experience in social reconstruction during the wartime and post-war period, specifically from the experience of the International Volunteer Project in Pakrac, a project of the Anti-War Campaign Croatia supported by the UN. The volunteer project was a unique example of the work done by mostly young people from Croatia and beyond, focused on the reconstruction of a town that, during the war of the 1990s, had been physically divided into Serbian and Croatian sides.
What I have experienced during the years is usually a form of self-censorship when learners feel inapt or without considerable knowledge on specific topics keeping them in the more quiet spectrum. There is also the natural tendencies and psychology present with those more extroverted and open to share, those more eloquent etc. What helps in these situations is committing to experiential learning where those with perhaps less formal education but more life experience can contribute.
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Key words
Digitally Supported Educational Resources for Migrant Women
General considerations
Short summary
The "dig-mit" project emphasizes participatory and inclusive processes in its design and implementation. The content covers critical areas like labor rights, language learning, and digital literacy, reflecting the input of the target group and alignment with their needs for socio-economic empowerment and improved participation. This participatory approach is also evident in the adaptability of the resources to varied backgrounds and situations.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Language barriers were certainly present, though they were less of an issue for Spanish speakers, as most LEFÖ Learning Center staff and the social counselor at the LEFÖ counseling center speak Spanish. However, participants who speak Arabic, Dari, or less common languages like Somali and Bangla have very limited opportunities to express themselves in their first language.
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Key words
fide I Français, Italiano, Deutsch in der Schweiz
General considerations
Short summary
fide means ‘French, Italian, German in Switzerland’ and refers to the Swiss programme for the promotion of language integration. The aim of fide is to guarantee high-quality and effective opportunities for non-native speakers who have immigrated to Switzerland to develop and demonstrate their language skills. The aim of the courses with the fide label is to enable immigrants to find their way linguistically in Swiss society. The fide teaching approach is characterised by principles such as a focus on everyday situations and on practical action and need.
fide is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and is designed to enable migrants to handle specific situations in their daily lives. Both the fide funding and the assessment of language skills are centred on everyday life in Switzerland.
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Key words
BigSibling Kollektiv - fighting racist police violence.
General considerations
Short summary
How things work in BigSibling Kollektiv is, the members get asked to do something and if their interests lie within and they have enough knowledge and information on it then the member or members get it done. There isn’t really a particular context because different workshops may demand for different contexts.
Actions that tend to silence learner’s voices: The fear of asking stupid questions, the fear of being offensive and the fear of not knowing and having answers. These fears silence learners from voicing out their minds and opinions because they fear they might be judged or not taken seriously.
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Key words
La compagne «Numérique, mon amour»
General considerations
Short summary
The initiative employed a co-creation approach where learners were engaged as artists, integrating their life skills and experiences in taking ownership over their digital skills and accessing their rights. Learners are considered as experts (experiential knowledge approach) artists. They are engaged by incorporating their life skills and experiences. There is deep trust in their potential and they are treated as equals, without creating barriers.
What actions or structures did you observe that tended to silence learners’ voices?
Lack of a safe space – many learners did not feel safe or confident enough to express themselves, fearing judgment or feeling that their voices were not important.
Language barriers – make it difficult for them to engage fully in discussions or express their thoughts clearly.
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Key words
Liberties Weavers
General considerations
Short summary
The goal of this project is to bring people of all ages, genders, and nationalities together to weave, express themselves creatively, and build a strong sense of community and social connection.
Educational systems often inadvertently silence learners by infantilising them, treating them as passive recipients of knowledge rather than active participants. Practices such as rigid accreditation structures and outdated work experience requirements can feel alienating, particularly for adult learners who are senior of age. Communication is another key factor—when learners are simply asked to complete written tasks without meaningful dialogue, their voices can become lost.
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Key words
My Voice, My Choice
General considerations
Short summary
Goals of the initiative are to support learners to take up their human rights and be included in education and training. The programme was designed to be adaptable, evolving in response to learners’ needs and emerging opportunities. It was developed using universal design for learning approach and the curriculum was continuously refined to align with the learners’ profiles, learning styles, and interests.
Enhancing learners' voices and participation requires a foundation of trust, flexibility, and meaningful engagement. There needs to be space for live, legitimate opportunities for discussion and participation empowers learners to express themselves openly. Another key factor is trusting learners that they can represent themselves. Both group discussions and one-to-one conversations help capture the needs of the learners.
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Key words
RefugeeHelp
General considerations
Short summary
RefugeeHelp is an online platform designed to meet the needs of refugees, providing them with information, interactive e-learnings, and community-driven resources to increase their self-sufficiency and integration into Dutch society.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Lack of systematic engagement and bureaucratic barriers can silence learners, particularly vulnerable groups such as those with limited access to technology.
What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Regular data collection, open suggestion boxes, and user feedback surveys promote openness in the process.
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Key words
The folk high school survey - Folkhögskoleenkäten
General considerations
Short summary
There are 156 folk high schools in Sweden with more than 50,000 participants in general and specialized long courses. The folk high schools are responsible for deciding on the courses they offer, but there is a requirement that at least 15% of their activities must consist of general courses (second chance courses). Participation in folk high school courses is voluntary and free of charge. Folk high schools receive public funding and must fulfill four funding conditions:
For the survey to be useful, it is of great importance that it has been designed together with researchers, and that it has been tested by folk high schools for many years. By repeating the survey annually, it is possible to follow developments over time. A prerequisite for conducting a survey of this kind is that the national adult education organizations have been commissioned by their member schools to support the schools‘ proactive quality work, where the participants’ perceptions form the basis.
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Key words
This is our theatre
General considerations
Short summary
The objectives of the initiative are to use theatre and its tools to reach out to society, to try out strategies that can bring about change for the benefit of the community, to encourage active participation and to develop personalities. The programme also aims to familiarise participants with the tools of forum theatre to address issues of concern to their communities.
What practices encourage students to open up their voices? Focus groups, questionnaires, improvisation, role-playing and discussions facilitated in the Forum and Legislative Theatre all encourage the open expression of learners' voices. A safe and trusting environment during training exercises is also key.
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Key words
Development company with Learning Lab
General considerations
Short summary
Werkzaak Rivierenland is a development company commissioned by eight municipalities from locations in Tiel and Geldermalsen in The Netherlands, to support people who have difficulty finding or keeping a job without help. Werkzaak Rivierenland believes that everyone should be able to participate in society. Work is very important in this respect, because it gives self-confidence, social contacts and (financial) independence.
There are no indications that the learner's voice is being tried to be silenced. On the contrary. Practices that promote the openness of learners' voices are: Support in choice of learning pathways or programmes; Examine learners' learning needs and goals at intake and progress at regular mid-term reviews; Customised approach as much as possible with a mix of informal, non-formal or formal learning...
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Key words
The Zinneke Project
General considerations
Short summary
Zinneke is a project that creates space for encounters, collaboration and creativity. It promotes artistic and social dynamics between residents, associations, schools and artists from different neighbourhoods in Brussels and beyond.
Actions that tend to silence learners' voices include their exclusion from decision-making processes, which marginalizes their perspectives and diminishes their sense of agency. Over-reliance on dominant languages also hinders participation, as it often ignores linguistic diversity and alienates those who are not fluent in these languages. Additionally, tokenistic participation, where learners are involved without meaningful influence, undermines their confidence and engagement.
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Key words
Birkagården Folk High School
General considerations
Short summary
Birkagråden is one of 156 folk high schools in Sweden. The school is owned by Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund (the study circle association for the workers' movement - ABF) and the Birkagården Foundation. In the academic year 2024/2025, the general line has six classes with around 100 participants in total. Studies in the General Course are full-time for 1-3 years and provide eligibility for university studies.
The General Course at Birkagården Folk High School has several ways of enabling participants to influence the school. Of great importance is the emphasis on respectful behaviour between teachers and participants. This means that the threshold for expressing opinions is low. It is also important that there are institutional forms and policies for how participants can influence and be heard. At Birkagården, there is the Student Council, mentoring time, individual study plans and various evaluation processes.
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Key words
Ambassadrices de l’égalité (“Female ambassadors of equality”)
General considerations
Short summary
The project consists in organizing awareness-raising workshops on gender equality for newcomer foreigners, to help them integrate in France. The beneficiaries of these awareness-raising workshops are newcomer foreigners, i.e. foreigners from outside the European Union who have been legally resident in France for less than five years and have signed the Republican Integration Contract (CIR).
Persistent gender stereotypes may discourage expression or reinforce traditional roles, including when these are reversed in the context of the class where the trainer is a woman. This can cause learners to withdraw into themselves. Also trainers from immigrant backgrounds can be perceived as integrated, “on the other side”, far removed from the learners.
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Key words
Social Entrepreneur (Samhällsentreprenör)
General considerations
Short summary
This is a 1-2 year long distance learning course on 50% study pace. It has 35-40 participants, where the majority are enrolled in the first year (app. 25-30 participants).
The course runs September to June.
It is a course that been around for quite a while and has contributed to the development of the social entrepreneurship field in Sweden.
The course is very much tailored for the individual learner in the sense that the learner chooses what idea or project to develop within the course.
In the 2-year course, as an initial assignment - participants are each year asked to consider the planned themes of the course and make proposals based on their ideas and needs. These proposals are then discussed with the group, and the plan for the course year is adapted based on common denominators.
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Key words
'Ruimte voor Invloed' (‘space for infuence’)
General considerations
Short summary
This initiative focuses on enhancing the influence of citizens on local policies through direct participation in citizen assemblies, public discussions, and through the use of mechanisms like the 'Uitdaagrecht' (Challenge Right), which allows citizens to take over municipal responsibilities in areas like green management or social services. The project aims to bridge the influence gap by involving a diverse range of community members, including those with limited previous opportunities for engagement.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices?
Barriers to participation such as limited skills, time constraints, financial issues, physical limitations, and unknown locations are noted as significant obstacles. Additionally, a lack of trust in governmental processes can silence certain groups
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Key words
Davina Project
General considerations
Short summary
The goal was to create a psychoeducational program designed for use in addiction services, homeless services, and women’s services. This program aimed to support women who had experienced both domestic violence and substance use simultaneously, helping them gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their experiences, and the associated risks. Additionally, it focused on equipping them with the knowledge and skills to build healthier relationships in the future.
Language can be a major obstacle when it is overly formal, bureaucratic, or intimidating, making it difficult for women to engage confidently. Similarly, imposing external agendas—such as focusing on issues that do not resonate with their lived realities—can alienate participants and reinforce feelings of disempowerment. In addition to this, systemic issues like poverty and discrimination further limit engagement, as immediate survival needs often take precedence over education.
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Key words
Programme Women’s tables/Men's tables
General considerations
Short summary
Femmes-Tische/Männer-Tische are moderated discussion groups in various languages. Participants discuss relevant everyday issues relating to family, health and integration in small discussion groups. The focus is on sharing personal experiences. They further receive important information and at the same time strengthen their personal resources and their social network. emmes-Tische/Männer-Tische reached over 17,000 people in 2023.
Femmes Tables/Men's Tables promote information, dialogue and networking. They aim to empower and integrate people and pursue the following goals: 1) Providing up-to-date knowledge and information on health, family and integration issues, 2) Promoting dialogue and creating social networks, 3) Identifying resources and strengthening self-confidence, 4) Integrating people with a migration background, 5) Providing information about further services and advice centres, 6) Addressing people who are hardly reached by conventional services.
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Key words
Study Circles for Social Change Programme
General considerations
Short summary
IFWEA aims to advance trade union policies on protections, regulations, and livelihoods in the informal economy through its study circle programme. This initiative helps organizations form small learning groups to raise awareness on critical issues like ILO C 190 (gender based violence in the workplace, climate change, and migrant rights, while fostering dialogue with policymakers and building alliances.
Practices that encourage opennessof learners’ voices: Providing spaces and opportunities to voice their opinions, lead discussions; team building exercises and icebreakers. Continuous communication and encouragement also led to greater openness and expression.
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Key words
Student Council Tipperary ETB
General considerations
Short summary
The Tipperary Student Council’s main activity is to consult with adult learners engaged in education in one of the 27 ETBs across the county of Tipperary, and to represent their needs by advocating to the Tipperary ETB Board, Public Participation Network Board and other relevant authorities. The goals of the initiative are to represent the views and needs of adult learners in Further Education and Training.
The fact that there’s nobody there to turn to when you have a problem, is what silences learners. If they know that there’s someone there to listen to their problem, to advise them and help them on their journey, they will reach out. It’s important to sit down and listen to what they have to say and guide them in achieving what they want to achieve. In their work, as Student Council, they make sure to be present and make connections with the learners and be accessible to them whenever they need to talk.
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Quality for me is... says the learner
General considerations
Short summary
The research highlights the importance of integrating experiential experts—individuals with lived experiences of adult education—into the development and assessment processes. It discusses methodologies for involving these experts, the benefits of their participation, and provides recommendations for educational institutions to effectively collaborate with them. As a result of the research, the researchers published a Voice Map: a road map on what could be done on different stakeholder levels to take steps in implementing learner voice.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Lack of structured feedback processes, institutional resistance, and inadequate communication of results can silence learners. What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Open forums, focus groups, and clear feedback channels encourage learners to express their views freely.
Key words
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Public opinion (PO)
General considerations
Short summary
PO’s mission is to root a progressive public forum in Pécs, Hungary. To discuss in a cultured way social issues and concrete matters of current concern to the city, within the framework of participation, inside and beyond the bubble. PO provides a community experience that encourages free expression rather than repression. Accessible to all, it is a niche and ground-breaking forum for debate that connects city residents and creates a public space.
By the time we started, we were thinking a lot about how we could do something in a format that went beyond a roundtable discussion. We felt that we were tired of these programmes, and so were our audiences. But we need to talk to each other about public issues, because one of the entrances to democracy, to active citizenship, is for people to be informed and to voice their opinions. Those were the ideas that started it, and it was important to be able to be local.
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Key words
ufaFabrik International Culture Center
General considerations
Short summary
ufaFabrik is a community-based cultural center in Berlin that combines artistic and ecological practices with social engagement. Operating with a basic democratic structure, it fosters inclusivity, sustainability, and freedom of expression. The initiative focuses on providing accessible spaces for artistic expression, workshops, and support for grassroots organizations, emphasizing collaboration and community-driven development.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices?
Formalized structures that reduce flexibility, societal barriers, and generational differences in engagement can inhibit voices.
What practices encourage openness of learners' voices?
Consensus-based decision-making, accessible resources, and fostering trust and collaboration among participants.
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Key words
Participatory budget in Schools
General considerations
Short summary
In the 2021/2022 school year, the students of the Medgyessy Ferenc Secondary School, Secondary School of Arts and Technology in Debrecen were part of a community decision-making process that was unusual in Hungary. The majority of the school's students were involved in some way in deciding what the community should spend 350,000 forints on.
Silencing of student voices can occur if the process is not transparent or if students are not treated as competent parties. Empowering student voice is essential to ensure trust, respect, openness and genuine decision-making. An open, supportive and accepting atmosphere helps students to express themselves. Group and individual processes are important to ensure that everyone's voice is heard.
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Key words
Agora - La Verneda-Sant Martí Adult School
General considerations
Short summary
La Verneda-Sant Martí was founded in 1978 in a working-class neighborhood in Barcelona. Rooted in bottom-up, participatory education, it follows the principles of dialogic learning, ensuring that learners actively shape the educational process. Over the years, it has grown to engage over 1,700 participants and has become an internationally recognized model of community-driven adult education.
What actions tend to silencelearners' voices?
In traditional education, hierarchical structures limit learners' agency, preventing them from influencing decision-making. At La Verneda, the rejection of hierarchy ensures that all learners actively participate. Financial constraints and digital exclusion also silence voices, but La Verneda addresses this through free access and community-driven support.
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Key words
Zürcher Lernstuben (Zurich Learning Center)
General considerations
Short summary
Lernstuben are an open learning and counselling service to promote basic skills (language, reading and writing, information and communication technologies ICT, and mathematics). Lernstuben are regionally established, low-threshold learning environments. They are designed as modern learning centres where digital, action-oriented and self-organised learning is encouraged in a cosy ‘café atmosphere’ and in warm rooms.
In Switzerland, almost 30% of the permanent resident population between the ages of 16 and 65 have low scores in at least one of the three areas of competence: reading, mathematics and problem-solving. These people often live in financially difficult circumstances and are more likely to lose their jobs during their lifetime due to a lack of qualifications. The Lernstuben programme aims to offer these individuals low-threshold access to learning opportunities and support for coping with everyday life.
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Key words
Ervaringsraad (Experience Council)
General considerations
Short summary
The Experience Council gathers experts with lived experience and professionals to advise on how to improve processes and systems for greater inclusion of people with limited basic skills. The council creates tools like tip sheets and films to help professionals work more effectively with these individuals, while also focusing on building trust and a safe environment for them.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Lack of systematic engagement and bureaucratic barriers can silence learners, particularly vulnerable groups such as those with limited access to technology.
What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Regular data collection, open suggestion boxes, and user feedback surveys promote openness in the process.
+ Read more
Key words
Neighbourhood Academy
General considerations
Short summary
The Neighbourhood Academy is a non-formal self-education programme launched by the Pécs Community Foundation. The aim of the initiative is to provide a platform for civil society organisations, informal groups and active local residents in Pécs to exchange experiences, share common resources and develop themselves.
Practices to encourage openness of learners' voices: collaborative planning, small group work and opportunities for feedback.
The most appropriate environment for students to express their open opinions: community spaces where opinions can be freely shared.
Processes are implemented in both group and individual settings.
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Key words
ENHANCE matrix
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Transcript
The ENHANCE Matrix - European level
IMPACT: 5
Impactful with challenges
Accessible and impactful
Agora LaVerneda
StudyCircles
Foundation Skills
Peace Studies
LeE
EuropeanAlternatives
Access: 12
Access: 4
Ufafabrik
Ambassadricesde l’égalité
Photo Language
The Zinneke Project
IMPACT: 1
Significant challenges
Accessible with low impact
The ENHANCE Matrix - Sweden
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
SocialEntrepreneur
Access: 12
Access: 4
BirkagårdenStudent Council
My Story – Our Agenda
We build together – the Transition Building
The FolkHigh School
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix- Ireland
My Voice,My Choice
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
Student Council Tipperary ETB
My Voice, My Choice
LibertiesWeavers
Access: 12
Access: 4
Davina Project
Pathfinders Gorey
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - The Netherlands
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
RuimtevoorInvloed
Access: 12
Access: 4
Ervaringsraad
RefugeeHelp
Quality for me is... says the learner
Development company with Learning Lab
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - Austria
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
CitizenScience Projekt
das kollektiv
Access: 12
Access: 4
BigSiblingKollektiv
dig_mit!
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - Hungary
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
BeyondWalls
Neighbourhood Academy
Access: 12
Access: 4
Participatory budget in Schools
This is our theatre
Public opinion
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - Switzerland
IMPACT: 5
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
Access: 12
Access: 4
Zurich Learning Center
Femmes-Tische/Männer-Tische
fide
Botschaftergruppen Grundkompetenzen
IMPACT: 1
Accessible with low impact
Significant challenges
The ENHANCE Matrix - All practices
European
European
IMPACT: 5
Sweden
Sweden
Accessible and impactful
Impactful with challenges
Ireland
Ireland
The Netherlands
Austria
Hungary
Switzerland
Access: 12
Access: 4
IMPACT: 1
Significant challenges
Accessible with low impact
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
My Story – Our Agenda
General considerations
Short summary
In My Story - Our Agenda, the focus is on the participants' own experiences and stories. The work is based on the individual's own story and commitment and links them to the 2030 Agenda's global goals. By starting from the personal, the ambition is that Agenda 2030 will be broken down into something tangible that creates a sense of being part of a larger context and that work for change is possible at all levels.
Educators have a very important role in enabling participants to express themselves and be listened to. Their responsibility is to create safe and trusting spaces that allow participants' fears to be overcome and self-esteem to grow. This is particularly important when working with vulnerable groups. Educators need to be able to balance between providing support when needed and stepping back to hand over responsibility to participants when they are ready.
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Key words
Botschaftergruppen Grundkompetenzen
General considerations
Short summary
Access to basic skills is characterised by a paradox: those who need it most tend to educate themselves the least. Only a small proportion of those affected take advantage of existing educational opportunities in the area of basic skills. One reason for this is that those affected often do not trust themselves to be able to learn these skills and sometimes are also not aware of the added value of a course.
Raising awareness of basic skills: A network of ambassadors is to be set up in all Swiss language regions with the aim of motivating those affected to attend a course. Those directly affected should use their voice to raise awareness among the general public about basic skills and provide them with information. They should also encourage others to take part in courses and thus improve their basic skills.
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Pathfinders Gorey, Co Wexford
General considerations
Short summary
Pathfinders Gorey is a unique, bottom-up initiative developed to equip adults with autism with the skills and experience needed to access mainstream education. At its core, the initiative emphasized the importance of self-advocacy. For adults with autism, self-advocacy can manifest in small but meaningful ways—such as being able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ expressing preferences for clothing, or engaging with tutors in a manner that reflects understanding and trust in their relationship.
Certain processes and systems are often followed simply because they have always been in place, and while they may have good intentions, they can sometimes unintentionally silence learners' voices. When structures prioritise organizational needs over individual learners, learners may find themselves adapting to a system rather than the system adapting to them.
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Key words
Citizen Science Projekt -The Psychological is Participatory
General considerations
Short summary
The perspectives of clients who are women and gender-expansive people have rarely been considered in the history of psychology. Disadvantaged women* in particular are often rarely heard, for example migrant women or single parents affected by poverty. This collaborative research project explores the life stories of women who seek assistance from counseling centers.
What practices encouraged greater openness and expression from learners? Respectful interaction, appreciation, competence orientation, informal learning atmosphere, self-reflection by teachers, creative methods. Moreover, it was essential that counselors and clients engage in separate workshops. This separation ensured ethical integrity, fostered open participation, prevented role confusion, and prioritized the emotional well-being of the clients.
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Key words
#BeyondWalls action pedagogy project
General considerations
Short summary
The #BeyondWalls project is an action education initiative that aims to get students to carry out sustainability projects outside the school walls, in response to local and global problems, with active community participation. The project involves students choosing, planning and implementing a project based on their own interests, with teachers acting as mentors and facilitators.
What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Open and honest communication, facilitating and mentoring roles, ensuring learners' active participation and democratic decision-making all promote learners' voices. What settings are more conducive to learners expressing themselves openly? Learning environments where students can question, debate, collaborate and learn along their own interests are more conducive to open expression.
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We build together – the Transition Building
General considerations
Short summary
It's a semester long folk high school course. In the course participants spend half their weeks with teachers either at Billströmska Folk High School or in the surrounding community meeting and working with local initiatives of various kinds. The rest of their week they spend building a small house at the Egnahemsfabriken, a rurally located maker space focused on supporting self-organized building practices.
As for example it has been stressed that what is co-created is mainly the course culture and practical problem solving, not the plan for the house that is being built. Different practices as checking in in the beginning and end of the day, class meetings, the “participants bid” and encouraging shared responsibility for everyones safety when doing construction work have also been mentioned.
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Key words
Photo language about international solidarity
General considerations
Short summary
This activity can be used to prepare young people for international mobility and get them to think about the challenges of international solidarity. More specifically, this workshop addresses the relationship between northern and southern countries.
To encourage openness of learners' voices, it is necessary to define a framework (don't interrupt, don't discriminate, listen to each other, etc.) so that everyone feels comfortable and confident. If there are many participants, it is best to split them into sub-groups. Indeed, it is easier for shy people to speak up in a small group.
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European Alternatives
General considerations
Short summary
The initiative aims to center participants' needs through a learner-driven approach, focusing on creating community-based learning environments that empower participants to actively engage and develop skills. Programs are co-designed with input from learners, addressing societal challenges, such as precarious labor conditions and unpaid care work, while promoting transformative learning.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Over-reliance on gatekeepers or dominant voices; focusing on trending issues rather than group-specific needs. What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Structured feedback mechanisms, fostering trust, and promoting co-learning environments.
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Key words
My Story – Our Agenda
Form/Type/Methodology
General Consideration
Formal/informal/non-formal:
Educators have a very important role in enabling participants to express themselves and be listened to. Their responsibility is to create safe and trusting spaces that allow participants' fears to be overcome and self-esteem to grow. This is particularly important when working with vulnerable groups. Educators need to be able to balance between providing support when needed and stepping back to hand over responsibility to participants when they are ready.
Semi-formal. General courses (Allmän linje) are recognised by the formal education system and provide opportunities for further study at tertiary level, but are not heavily regulated by set curricula.
Theme
My Story - Our Agenda, I - We - the World
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das kollektiv
General considerations
Short summary
The motto of the organisation is “transformation through education”. das kollektiv is a place for critical educational work. Counselling and cultural work are carried out in dialog or intertwined with it. We understand das kollektive as a place of exchange, criticism, resistance and collective design. In conjunction with and in addition to the courses, many processes and projects, discussions and actions take place here.
The following is a partial list of practices that a team of educators reflected on and thought was important to encourage openness of participants’ voices: Listen attentively and ensure understanding by asking clarifying questions and repeating concerns. Make representatives feel comfortable, avoiding criticism or lecturing them. Allow participants to speak first, and discuss concerns calmly as a team before providing feedback. (...)
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The Foundation skills for social change program
General considerations
Short summary
The Foundation skills for social change program is an initiative that equips grassroots leaders in trade unions and community organisations with theoretical, analytical & technical foundation skills to build organisations & contribute to a global knowledge community of worker educators. The program consists of courses which are conducted mostly online on the IFWEA Online Labour Academy platform.
Actions that tend to silence learners’ voices: Challenges in their local contexts e.g. war, local conflict, laws which prevented them from attending the sessions. Practices that encourages openness oflearners’ voices: Providing many opportunities to voice their opinions, lead discussions, exploring more with popular education methods during facilitated sessions, e.g. roleplay, poem writing.
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Key words
Peace Studies program
General considerations
Short summary
Peace Studies grew out of direct activist experience in social reconstruction during the wartime and post-war period, specifically from the experience of the International Volunteer Project in Pakrac, a project of the Anti-War Campaign Croatia supported by the UN. The volunteer project was a unique example of the work done by mostly young people from Croatia and beyond, focused on the reconstruction of a town that, during the war of the 1990s, had been physically divided into Serbian and Croatian sides.
What I have experienced during the years is usually a form of self-censorship when learners feel inapt or without considerable knowledge on specific topics keeping them in the more quiet spectrum. There is also the natural tendencies and psychology present with those more extroverted and open to share, those more eloquent etc. What helps in these situations is committing to experiential learning where those with perhaps less formal education but more life experience can contribute.
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Key words
Digitally Supported Educational Resources for Migrant Women
General considerations
Short summary
The "dig-mit" project emphasizes participatory and inclusive processes in its design and implementation. The content covers critical areas like labor rights, language learning, and digital literacy, reflecting the input of the target group and alignment with their needs for socio-economic empowerment and improved participation. This participatory approach is also evident in the adaptability of the resources to varied backgrounds and situations.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Language barriers were certainly present, though they were less of an issue for Spanish speakers, as most LEFÖ Learning Center staff and the social counselor at the LEFÖ counseling center speak Spanish. However, participants who speak Arabic, Dari, or less common languages like Somali and Bangla have very limited opportunities to express themselves in their first language.
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Key words
fide I Français, Italiano, Deutsch in der Schweiz
General considerations
Short summary
fide means ‘French, Italian, German in Switzerland’ and refers to the Swiss programme for the promotion of language integration. The aim of fide is to guarantee high-quality and effective opportunities for non-native speakers who have immigrated to Switzerland to develop and demonstrate their language skills. The aim of the courses with the fide label is to enable immigrants to find their way linguistically in Swiss society. The fide teaching approach is characterised by principles such as a focus on everyday situations and on practical action and need.
fide is based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and is designed to enable migrants to handle specific situations in their daily lives. Both the fide funding and the assessment of language skills are centred on everyday life in Switzerland.
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Key words
BigSibling Kollektiv - fighting racist police violence.
General considerations
Short summary
How things work in BigSibling Kollektiv is, the members get asked to do something and if their interests lie within and they have enough knowledge and information on it then the member or members get it done. There isn’t really a particular context because different workshops may demand for different contexts.
Actions that tend to silence learner’s voices: The fear of asking stupid questions, the fear of being offensive and the fear of not knowing and having answers. These fears silence learners from voicing out their minds and opinions because they fear they might be judged or not taken seriously.
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Key words
La compagne «Numérique, mon amour»
General considerations
Short summary
The initiative employed a co-creation approach where learners were engaged as artists, integrating their life skills and experiences in taking ownership over their digital skills and accessing their rights. Learners are considered as experts (experiential knowledge approach) artists. They are engaged by incorporating their life skills and experiences. There is deep trust in their potential and they are treated as equals, without creating barriers.
What actions or structures did you observe that tended to silence learners’ voices? Lack of a safe space – many learners did not feel safe or confident enough to express themselves, fearing judgment or feeling that their voices were not important. Language barriers – make it difficult for them to engage fully in discussions or express their thoughts clearly.
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Key words
Liberties Weavers
General considerations
Short summary
The goal of this project is to bring people of all ages, genders, and nationalities together to weave, express themselves creatively, and build a strong sense of community and social connection.
Educational systems often inadvertently silence learners by infantilising them, treating them as passive recipients of knowledge rather than active participants. Practices such as rigid accreditation structures and outdated work experience requirements can feel alienating, particularly for adult learners who are senior of age. Communication is another key factor—when learners are simply asked to complete written tasks without meaningful dialogue, their voices can become lost.
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Key words
My Voice, My Choice
General considerations
Short summary
Goals of the initiative are to support learners to take up their human rights and be included in education and training. The programme was designed to be adaptable, evolving in response to learners’ needs and emerging opportunities. It was developed using universal design for learning approach and the curriculum was continuously refined to align with the learners’ profiles, learning styles, and interests.
Enhancing learners' voices and participation requires a foundation of trust, flexibility, and meaningful engagement. There needs to be space for live, legitimate opportunities for discussion and participation empowers learners to express themselves openly. Another key factor is trusting learners that they can represent themselves. Both group discussions and one-to-one conversations help capture the needs of the learners.
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Key words
RefugeeHelp
General considerations
Short summary
RefugeeHelp is an online platform designed to meet the needs of refugees, providing them with information, interactive e-learnings, and community-driven resources to increase their self-sufficiency and integration into Dutch society.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Lack of systematic engagement and bureaucratic barriers can silence learners, particularly vulnerable groups such as those with limited access to technology. What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Regular data collection, open suggestion boxes, and user feedback surveys promote openness in the process.
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Key words
The folk high school survey - Folkhögskoleenkäten
General considerations
Short summary
There are 156 folk high schools in Sweden with more than 50,000 participants in general and specialized long courses. The folk high schools are responsible for deciding on the courses they offer, but there is a requirement that at least 15% of their activities must consist of general courses (second chance courses). Participation in folk high school courses is voluntary and free of charge. Folk high schools receive public funding and must fulfill four funding conditions:
For the survey to be useful, it is of great importance that it has been designed together with researchers, and that it has been tested by folk high schools for many years. By repeating the survey annually, it is possible to follow developments over time. A prerequisite for conducting a survey of this kind is that the national adult education organizations have been commissioned by their member schools to support the schools‘ proactive quality work, where the participants’ perceptions form the basis.
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Key words
This is our theatre
General considerations
Short summary
The objectives of the initiative are to use theatre and its tools to reach out to society, to try out strategies that can bring about change for the benefit of the community, to encourage active participation and to develop personalities. The programme also aims to familiarise participants with the tools of forum theatre to address issues of concern to their communities.
What practices encourage students to open up their voices? Focus groups, questionnaires, improvisation, role-playing and discussions facilitated in the Forum and Legislative Theatre all encourage the open expression of learners' voices. A safe and trusting environment during training exercises is also key.
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Key words
Development company with Learning Lab
General considerations
Short summary
Werkzaak Rivierenland is a development company commissioned by eight municipalities from locations in Tiel and Geldermalsen in The Netherlands, to support people who have difficulty finding or keeping a job without help. Werkzaak Rivierenland believes that everyone should be able to participate in society. Work is very important in this respect, because it gives self-confidence, social contacts and (financial) independence.
There are no indications that the learner's voice is being tried to be silenced. On the contrary. Practices that promote the openness of learners' voices are: Support in choice of learning pathways or programmes; Examine learners' learning needs and goals at intake and progress at regular mid-term reviews; Customised approach as much as possible with a mix of informal, non-formal or formal learning...
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Key words
The Zinneke Project
General considerations
Short summary
Zinneke is a project that creates space for encounters, collaboration and creativity. It promotes artistic and social dynamics between residents, associations, schools and artists from different neighbourhoods in Brussels and beyond.
Actions that tend to silence learners' voices include their exclusion from decision-making processes, which marginalizes their perspectives and diminishes their sense of agency. Over-reliance on dominant languages also hinders participation, as it often ignores linguistic diversity and alienates those who are not fluent in these languages. Additionally, tokenistic participation, where learners are involved without meaningful influence, undermines their confidence and engagement.
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Key words
Birkagården Folk High School
General considerations
Short summary
Birkagråden is one of 156 folk high schools in Sweden. The school is owned by Arbetarnas Bildningsförbund (the study circle association for the workers' movement - ABF) and the Birkagården Foundation. In the academic year 2024/2025, the general line has six classes with around 100 participants in total. Studies in the General Course are full-time for 1-3 years and provide eligibility for university studies.
The General Course at Birkagården Folk High School has several ways of enabling participants to influence the school. Of great importance is the emphasis on respectful behaviour between teachers and participants. This means that the threshold for expressing opinions is low. It is also important that there are institutional forms and policies for how participants can influence and be heard. At Birkagården, there is the Student Council, mentoring time, individual study plans and various evaluation processes.
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Key words
Ambassadrices de l’égalité (“Female ambassadors of equality”)
General considerations
Short summary
The project consists in organizing awareness-raising workshops on gender equality for newcomer foreigners, to help them integrate in France. The beneficiaries of these awareness-raising workshops are newcomer foreigners, i.e. foreigners from outside the European Union who have been legally resident in France for less than five years and have signed the Republican Integration Contract (CIR).
Persistent gender stereotypes may discourage expression or reinforce traditional roles, including when these are reversed in the context of the class where the trainer is a woman. This can cause learners to withdraw into themselves. Also trainers from immigrant backgrounds can be perceived as integrated, “on the other side”, far removed from the learners.
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Key words
Social Entrepreneur (Samhällsentreprenör)
General considerations
Short summary
This is a 1-2 year long distance learning course on 50% study pace. It has 35-40 participants, where the majority are enrolled in the first year (app. 25-30 participants). The course runs September to June. It is a course that been around for quite a while and has contributed to the development of the social entrepreneurship field in Sweden.
The course is very much tailored for the individual learner in the sense that the learner chooses what idea or project to develop within the course. In the 2-year course, as an initial assignment - participants are each year asked to consider the planned themes of the course and make proposals based on their ideas and needs. These proposals are then discussed with the group, and the plan for the course year is adapted based on common denominators.
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Key words
'Ruimte voor Invloed' (‘space for infuence’)
General considerations
Short summary
This initiative focuses on enhancing the influence of citizens on local policies through direct participation in citizen assemblies, public discussions, and through the use of mechanisms like the 'Uitdaagrecht' (Challenge Right), which allows citizens to take over municipal responsibilities in areas like green management or social services. The project aims to bridge the influence gap by involving a diverse range of community members, including those with limited previous opportunities for engagement.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Barriers to participation such as limited skills, time constraints, financial issues, physical limitations, and unknown locations are noted as significant obstacles. Additionally, a lack of trust in governmental processes can silence certain groups
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Key words
Davina Project
General considerations
Short summary
The goal was to create a psychoeducational program designed for use in addiction services, homeless services, and women’s services. This program aimed to support women who had experienced both domestic violence and substance use simultaneously, helping them gain a deeper understanding of themselves, their experiences, and the associated risks. Additionally, it focused on equipping them with the knowledge and skills to build healthier relationships in the future.
Language can be a major obstacle when it is overly formal, bureaucratic, or intimidating, making it difficult for women to engage confidently. Similarly, imposing external agendas—such as focusing on issues that do not resonate with their lived realities—can alienate participants and reinforce feelings of disempowerment. In addition to this, systemic issues like poverty and discrimination further limit engagement, as immediate survival needs often take precedence over education.
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Key words
Programme Women’s tables/Men's tables
General considerations
Short summary
Femmes-Tische/Männer-Tische are moderated discussion groups in various languages. Participants discuss relevant everyday issues relating to family, health and integration in small discussion groups. The focus is on sharing personal experiences. They further receive important information and at the same time strengthen their personal resources and their social network. emmes-Tische/Männer-Tische reached over 17,000 people in 2023.
Femmes Tables/Men's Tables promote information, dialogue and networking. They aim to empower and integrate people and pursue the following goals: 1) Providing up-to-date knowledge and information on health, family and integration issues, 2) Promoting dialogue and creating social networks, 3) Identifying resources and strengthening self-confidence, 4) Integrating people with a migration background, 5) Providing information about further services and advice centres, 6) Addressing people who are hardly reached by conventional services.
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Key words
Study Circles for Social Change Programme
General considerations
Short summary
IFWEA aims to advance trade union policies on protections, regulations, and livelihoods in the informal economy through its study circle programme. This initiative helps organizations form small learning groups to raise awareness on critical issues like ILO C 190 (gender based violence in the workplace, climate change, and migrant rights, while fostering dialogue with policymakers and building alliances.
Practices that encourage opennessof learners’ voices: Providing spaces and opportunities to voice their opinions, lead discussions; team building exercises and icebreakers. Continuous communication and encouragement also led to greater openness and expression.
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Key words
Student Council Tipperary ETB
General considerations
Short summary
The Tipperary Student Council’s main activity is to consult with adult learners engaged in education in one of the 27 ETBs across the county of Tipperary, and to represent their needs by advocating to the Tipperary ETB Board, Public Participation Network Board and other relevant authorities. The goals of the initiative are to represent the views and needs of adult learners in Further Education and Training.
The fact that there’s nobody there to turn to when you have a problem, is what silences learners. If they know that there’s someone there to listen to their problem, to advise them and help them on their journey, they will reach out. It’s important to sit down and listen to what they have to say and guide them in achieving what they want to achieve. In their work, as Student Council, they make sure to be present and make connections with the learners and be accessible to them whenever they need to talk.
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Quality for me is... says the learner
General considerations
Short summary
The research highlights the importance of integrating experiential experts—individuals with lived experiences of adult education—into the development and assessment processes. It discusses methodologies for involving these experts, the benefits of their participation, and provides recommendations for educational institutions to effectively collaborate with them. As a result of the research, the researchers published a Voice Map: a road map on what could be done on different stakeholder levels to take steps in implementing learner voice.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Lack of structured feedback processes, institutional resistance, and inadequate communication of results can silence learners. What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Open forums, focus groups, and clear feedback channels encourage learners to express their views freely.
Key words
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Public opinion (PO)
General considerations
Short summary
PO’s mission is to root a progressive public forum in Pécs, Hungary. To discuss in a cultured way social issues and concrete matters of current concern to the city, within the framework of participation, inside and beyond the bubble. PO provides a community experience that encourages free expression rather than repression. Accessible to all, it is a niche and ground-breaking forum for debate that connects city residents and creates a public space.
By the time we started, we were thinking a lot about how we could do something in a format that went beyond a roundtable discussion. We felt that we were tired of these programmes, and so were our audiences. But we need to talk to each other about public issues, because one of the entrances to democracy, to active citizenship, is for people to be informed and to voice their opinions. Those were the ideas that started it, and it was important to be able to be local.
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Key words
ufaFabrik International Culture Center
General considerations
Short summary
ufaFabrik is a community-based cultural center in Berlin that combines artistic and ecological practices with social engagement. Operating with a basic democratic structure, it fosters inclusivity, sustainability, and freedom of expression. The initiative focuses on providing accessible spaces for artistic expression, workshops, and support for grassroots organizations, emphasizing collaboration and community-driven development.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Formalized structures that reduce flexibility, societal barriers, and generational differences in engagement can inhibit voices. What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Consensus-based decision-making, accessible resources, and fostering trust and collaboration among participants.
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Key words
Participatory budget in Schools
General considerations
Short summary
In the 2021/2022 school year, the students of the Medgyessy Ferenc Secondary School, Secondary School of Arts and Technology in Debrecen were part of a community decision-making process that was unusual in Hungary. The majority of the school's students were involved in some way in deciding what the community should spend 350,000 forints on.
Silencing of student voices can occur if the process is not transparent or if students are not treated as competent parties. Empowering student voice is essential to ensure trust, respect, openness and genuine decision-making. An open, supportive and accepting atmosphere helps students to express themselves. Group and individual processes are important to ensure that everyone's voice is heard.
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Key words
Agora - La Verneda-Sant Martí Adult School
General considerations
Short summary
La Verneda-Sant Martí was founded in 1978 in a working-class neighborhood in Barcelona. Rooted in bottom-up, participatory education, it follows the principles of dialogic learning, ensuring that learners actively shape the educational process. Over the years, it has grown to engage over 1,700 participants and has become an internationally recognized model of community-driven adult education.
What actions tend to silencelearners' voices? In traditional education, hierarchical structures limit learners' agency, preventing them from influencing decision-making. At La Verneda, the rejection of hierarchy ensures that all learners actively participate. Financial constraints and digital exclusion also silence voices, but La Verneda addresses this through free access and community-driven support.
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Key words
Zürcher Lernstuben (Zurich Learning Center)
General considerations
Short summary
Lernstuben are an open learning and counselling service to promote basic skills (language, reading and writing, information and communication technologies ICT, and mathematics). Lernstuben are regionally established, low-threshold learning environments. They are designed as modern learning centres where digital, action-oriented and self-organised learning is encouraged in a cosy ‘café atmosphere’ and in warm rooms.
In Switzerland, almost 30% of the permanent resident population between the ages of 16 and 65 have low scores in at least one of the three areas of competence: reading, mathematics and problem-solving. These people often live in financially difficult circumstances and are more likely to lose their jobs during their lifetime due to a lack of qualifications. The Lernstuben programme aims to offer these individuals low-threshold access to learning opportunities and support for coping with everyday life.
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Key words
Ervaringsraad (Experience Council)
General considerations
Short summary
The Experience Council gathers experts with lived experience and professionals to advise on how to improve processes and systems for greater inclusion of people with limited basic skills. The council creates tools like tip sheets and films to help professionals work more effectively with these individuals, while also focusing on building trust and a safe environment for them.
What actions tend to silence learners' voices? Lack of systematic engagement and bureaucratic barriers can silence learners, particularly vulnerable groups such as those with limited access to technology. What practices encourage openness of learners' voices? Regular data collection, open suggestion boxes, and user feedback surveys promote openness in the process.
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Key words
Neighbourhood Academy
General considerations
Short summary
The Neighbourhood Academy is a non-formal self-education programme launched by the Pécs Community Foundation. The aim of the initiative is to provide a platform for civil society organisations, informal groups and active local residents in Pécs to exchange experiences, share common resources and develop themselves.
Practices to encourage openness of learners' voices: collaborative planning, small group work and opportunities for feedback. The most appropriate environment for students to express their open opinions: community spaces where opinions can be freely shared. Processes are implemented in both group and individual settings.
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Key words