¦ C i t y L e a r n i n g N e t
- an informal network of institutions working
strategically with the EU Lifelong Learning
programme from 2007-13

¦ City Learning Net summary
The network is being developed an the basis of the following problems:
- there is a strong competetion regarding the EU educational funding ressources
- the institutions use too many resources on finding serious partners and the partnerships are not always succesful
- each institution uses too many resources developing proposals
- the new EU Lifelong Learning programme is complex and requires extertice, ressources and experience
- there is much to little continuency from one project to another.

The concept of the City Learning Network can be described as a very simple, but effective construction:
- a number of institutions from different cities in very different parts of Europe establish an informal strategical cooperation for the period 2006-13, The cities should not be too small, but neither too big, because the partitipating institution should have good connections to the educational and political environments of the city.
The institutions do not, of course, in any way represent the city, but will be able to use positive resources within the city.

What is the aim of this network?
The direct aim is to develop a strategical cooperation in this periode (2006-13) to be able to develop and carry out solid and needed european educational projects, primarily within a diversity of adult education and with a certain focus on adults with special learning needs. A certain focus on young adults would also be relevant.
The network is not supposed to form the partnerships of the specific projects, but to make strategical plans for the development of educational and lifelong learning projects – of mutual interest - for adults within the EU Lifelong Learning program from 2006-13.
Some of the network institutions should be the key partners in these projects, and cooperate with a number of different institutions outside the network.

What could be the topics of such a City Learning Network?
- discussing the most important educational issues within this 7 year period
- discussing input and suggestions from the network partners of project development
- developing synergies bewteen the different projects and subprograms
- discussing effective project development and project dissemination
- resource and expertice sharing
- supporting the network partners in carrying out the different projects
- offering the network partners the intensive one-week course for professionals, teachers etc.: learning to develop European educational projects for adults and young adults within the EU Lifelong Learning framework.
[This course will be developed through a cooperation between the Danish partner from Aarhus and the Italien partner from Udine before summer 2005]

The profile of the institutions in the network might look like this:
- institutions being able to develop and carry out european projects
- institutions with strong european involvment interests
- public or non-profit organizations
- good relations to the city or regional educational and political environments
- the institutions should represent different cultural traditions in Europe.

The City Learning Network should not count too many, neither too few partners. Too many means a lot of planning and no work being done, too few means that the network will be weak.
I therefore suggest, that the network counts around 10 institutions, and only 1 or 2 institutions from each country.
The City Learning Network should be considered an informal cooperation, building on mutual interests and trust – to avoid a lot af bureaucracy. The institutions must be ready to finance 2 low cost network meetings per year for 1 person – the rest of the cooperation should take place in the form af e-mailing lists, perhaps later on an online forum.

The network itself should not be financed by the european programs, but projects developed by the network should, of course, be funded by the relevant european programs.
A professional use of the ongoing projects should make it possible to finance these network meetings.

The network must represent different parts of Europe, must have a will to be deeply involved in european cooperation and should be working with some kind of adult education, and have some kind of focus on underserved adult population groups (unemployed, immigrants, low educated, exlussion threatened, illiterates etc.).

¦ Network development supported by Grundtvig 4?
The development of The City Learning Network and a number of needed European projects might be supported by the Grundvig 4 action:
The aim of Grundtvig Networks is to strengthen the links between the various actors involved in adult learning, to enable them to co-operate on a more stable basis and to enhance their awareness of the European dimension of education.
Thematic networks - aim to provide a forum for discussion on key issues, policy shaping and/or research in the area of adult learning.
Project networks - aim to provide a basis for continuing contacts between institutions which have participated in projects, and as such contribute to the further dissemination of project results. Other relevant actors can also take part in the network.

The key issue is, that this kind of cooperation can be designed in two ways:
1. First: preparatory meeting - Second: Thematic Network (1 year) - Third: Grundtvig Network (max. 3 years).
2. First: preparatory meeting - Second: Grundtvig Network (max. 3 years).

The submission date of the Grundtvig Network is the 1th of November, which fits nicely with the plans of the City Learning Net - kick-off after summer 2005.

So the use of the Grundtvig 4 framework could be the first strategical target of the network and should therefore be discussed and planned on the kick-off meeting after summer 05.