Activity Sector

The activity sector refers to the tags within the Start Learning Cities Up platform.

• New technologies and digital learning
• Lifelong learning
• Active aging

Start and End Date of the Initiative

April 2023- April 2024

Location (i.e., city, Region, State) of the Initiative

Tolmezzo (Udine), Friuli Venezia Giulia

Project Summary

The project APPrendiamo in(sieme) in movimento aims to give seniors (over 60), living in the Friulian mountains, the opportunity to train and acquire new digital skills while staying active and healthy through physical movement, also allowing for relational and social exchanges, including intergenerational ones.

Description of Needs to be Met by the Project

For the project promoting healthy and active aging of the elderly residing in the alpine and pre-alpine area of the Friulian mountains, the needs to be met include:

• Activation of the elderly: enhancing the living context of the elderly residing in the marginal territories of the regional mountain through healthy experiences of group walks in a natural environment. Digital training: analyzing the digital training needs of the elderly and collecting their requests to develop social empowerment and encourage self-organization of the participants.
• Creation of group cohesion: fostering mutual knowledge and cohesion within the group to create a social support network that can activate new resources in the community, also through intergenerational relationships.
• Recovery of personal resources: identifying and enhancing the personal resources of the participants, transforming them into skills for digital citizenship.
• Awareness of health and active aging: supporting the participants’ awareness of the importance of health, movement, and active aging through the use of digital tools dedicated to health monitoring.
• Stimulation of intergenerational social bonds: promoting intergenerational social bonds through group walks that encourage the acquisition of digital skills related to health.
• Territorial awareness: increasing the awareness of the territorial vocation and the healthy environment in which one lives, as well as the knowledge of the territory and the opportunities offered.
• Support in local communities: developing support relationships among the elderly within local communities, thus strengthening participation and integration of the elderly in community participation places.
• Creation of networks and synergies: encouraging the development of synergies among participants to create lasting support and collaboration networks.

Description of Activities

The activities are as follows:

• Organization of easy group walks in a natural environment, promoting physical activity and social interaction among the elderly residing in the marginal territories of the regional mountain.
• Conducting surveys and meetings to analyze the digital training needs of the elderly participants in order to customize the training paths and promote social empowerment through the learning of computer and digital technologies.
• Facilitating group activities aimed at fostering mutual knowledge and cohesion within the group, with the goal of creating a social support network and sharing resources in the community.
• Implementation of workshops and training courses aimed at translating the personal resources of participants into practical skills for digital citizenship.
• Organization of informative sessions on the importance of health, movement, and active aging, with particular emphasis on the use of digital tools and dedicated apps.
• Promotion of intergenerational group walks, during which new digital skills related to health and monitoring through smartphones and smartwatches will be acquired.
• Awareness activities on territorial vocation and the healthy environment in which one lives, through guided excursions and informative meetings on the opportunities offered by the territory.
• Creation of support groups among the elderly within local communities, encouraging active participation and sharing of experiences and resources.
• Involvement of the elderly in community participation activities, with the goal of strengthening their role and presence in gathering and decision-making places. Promotion of the creation of networks and synergies among project participants to encourage the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and resources within the community.

Description of Tools and Methodologies Used in Project Activities

The methodology used to animate the APPrendiamo in (sieme) in movimento community refers to the Asset-Based Community Development (ABCD) approach. This methodology focuses on recognizing and mobilizing the existing resources within the community itself, rather than on deficiencies or problems. These are the main steps of the methodology:

• Resource mapping, starting with mapping the existing resources within the community, which can include individual skills, local organizations, physical facilities, social networks, and other tangible and intangible resources.
• Community engagement: actively involving community members in the process of identifying and mapping resources. This involvement occurred primarily through group meetings and surveys.
• Identification of skills and interests: identifying the skills, interests, and passions of community members.
• Creation of networks and collaborations, promoting the creation of networks and collaborations among community members, based on the identified resources and common needs.
• Sustainability and dissemination, working to ensure the sustainability of projects and to spread innovative practices within the community and beyond. This may include creating funding mechanisms, training local leaders, and documenting best practices.

Regarding the tools used: Group walks with outdoor training, digital workshops, and laboratories

Objectives

General Objective:

• The general objective of the project aims at promoting healthy and active aging of the elderly residing within the alpine and pre-alpine area of the Friulian mountains, particularly the Carnic area. The initiative aims to create moments of social empowerment through the realization of easy group walks for everyone in an environment that will focus on maintaining health and learning the use of computer and digital technologies for physical condition maintenance (apps and use of dedicated devices); particular attention will be given to the development of digital citizenship, with the perspective that even seniors can come into contact with public administrations that provide services in this mode (including health services).

Specific Objectives:

• Activate the elderly living in the marginal territories of the regional mountain, enhancing their living context, through the healthy experience of walking in the environment and in company.
• Analyze the digital training needs and requests of the participants with a view to developing social empowerment and self-organization of the involved seniors.
• Learn to know each other and create cohesion in the group in order to create a network that can activate new resources in the community and that aims at the development of competent communities, also through relationships with new generations.
• Recover the personal resources of the participants and translate them into new skills for digital citizenship.
• Support the awareness of the people involved on the importance of issues related to health, movement, and active aging, also through the potential of digital tools (use of apps, predominantly free, that help the elderly to stay healthy, such as ICE, HEALTH, DOC24 and to move safely such as Where are U, GEORESQ, ALERT).
• Stimulate intergenerational social bonds and promote collective empowerment through simple and healthy walks where new digital skills related to health and its monitoring through devices such as the smartphone and smartwatch will be acquired.
• Increase the awareness of the territorial vocation (healthy environment) in which one lives and the knowledge of the territory and the opportunities offered by it.
• Develop support relationships of seniors in the communities for the communities.
• Strengthen the participation of the elderly in community participation places.
• Develop synergies among the participants for the creation of networks.

Recipients of the Intervention

People over 60 residing in the mountain area of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region

Expected Results

• Activation of the elderly: Increase in the number of elderly involved in group walks and in the activities promoted by the project, resulting in the improvement of their physical and mental well-being through regular physical activity and social interaction.
• Improvement of digital skills: increase in the digital skills of the elderly participants, including familiarity with the use of apps and digital devices dedicated to health monitoring and maintaining physical condition.
• Social and community empowerment: increase in the sense of belonging to the community and social empowerment of the elderly, resulting in greater participation in community activities and a greater ability to positively influence the life of the community itself.
• Group cohesion and development of support networks: creation of a sense of cohesion among the elderly participants and development of social support networks within the community, which promote the sharing of resources and mutual aid.
• Promotion of health and active aging: greater awareness of the importance of health, movement, and active aging among the elderly participants, resulting in the adoption of healthier behaviors and active lifestyles.
• Increased territorial knowledge: increase in the knowledge of the territory and the opportunities offered by it among the elderly participants, resulting in greater environmental and territorial awareness.
• Development of support relationships in the communities: creation of support relationships among the elderly participants and other people within the local communities, promoting solidarity and mutual support.
• Increase in community participation: greater participation of the elderly in places and decision-making processes of community participation, thus contributing to greater inclusion and representation of the needs of the elderly in public life.
• Development of synergies and networks among the participants: creation of synergies and networks among the elderly participants in the project, which promote the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and resources within the community and contribute to the creation of a mutual support environment.

Immediate Results (i.e., output) after the Start of the Project and for Whom

Establishment of an intergenerational community where the involvement of the public-private partnership has been crucial.

Expected Long-term Impact (i.e., outcome) of the Initiative

The expected long-term impact of the project promoting healthy and active aging of the elderly residing in the alpine and pre-alpine area of the Friulian mountains is multidimensional and includes various aspects:

• Health and well-being: a general improvement in the health and well-being of the elderly participants is expected thanks to regular physical activity, social interaction, and the adoption of healthy lifestyles supported by digital technologies. This could reduce the incidence of chronic diseases and improve the quality of life of the elderly.
• Social and community empowerment: the elderly are expected to develop a greater sense of confidence, self-efficacy, and social involvement through group activities and the use of community resources. This could lead to a strengthening of interpersonal relationships, active participation, and autonomy within the community.
• Digital skills and digital citizenship: the elderly are expected to acquire useful digital skills to actively participate in the digital society, improving their accessibility to services and online resources, including those offered by public administrations. This could promote digital inclusion and access to the opportunities offered by technology.
• Intergenerational bonds and social cohesion: group activities are expected to foster closer intergenerational bonds between the elderly and young people, contributing to the construction of a cohesive and supportive community that values generational diversity and promotes the exchange of knowledge and experiences.
• Environmental and territorial awareness: an increase in environmental and territorial awareness among the elderly participants is expected, who may develop a greater understanding and appreciation of the surrounding natural environment and the opportunities offered by the local territory for an active and sustainable lifestyle.
• Sustainability of community support relationships: the support relationships developed within the community are expected to continue to exist in the long term, providing ongoing support to the elderly and promoting cohesion and solidarity within the community itself.
• Overall, the long-term impact of the project is to create an inclusive, resilient, and active community where the elderly enjoy better health and well-being, actively participate in social and digital life, and maintain meaningful relationships with younger generations and the surrounding environment, making conscious use of digital services.

Third Sector Actors

• Cramars – Società Cooperativa Sociale www.coopcramars.it Lead Project Partner, creator and coordinator of the initiative.
• Club Alpino Italiano – Association www.caitolmezzo.it Associated Partner The association, based in Tolmezzo in via Val di Gorto 19, has over 800 members and a hundred active volunteers. The CAI pays special attention to seniors so much so that with its senior sectional hiking groups it offers elderly members the opportunity to live an organized outdoor experience, engaging in hiking activities suited to their physical abilities and their need to be together like in a small community. The excursions organized by the senior sectional groups fully integrated into the section’s programs are led by hike coordinators sensitive to the needs of these groups. In our project, the association offers its expertise by involving young and old members, who are familiar with the organization and management of walking groups.

Public Actors

• Municipality of Tolmezzo – Public Entity, Municipality https://comune.tolmezzo.ud.it/ Associated Partner, City of Tolmezzo, Assistance Service and Third Age Council The municipal capital of Carnia offers its active support to the project by guaranteeing the partnership (see council resolution of January 27, 2022, attached) and ensuring coordination with the institutional actors of the territory as well as active involvement of the beneficiaries of the initiative through its communication channels. It provides premises for the presentation of the initiative and supports the final event by providing the public spaces necessary for the preparation of the final urban trekking excursion and the related refreshment, organized by Cramars. The Third Age Council guarantees the involvement of the main senior associations of the territory.

Project Cost

9,000.00 Euro

Funding Sources

LR 22/2020 (Cross-sectoral financial measures) and for the promotion of active aging as per Article 3, paragraph 3, of LR 22/2014 (Combating loneliness and promoting active aging).

Funding Bodies

Friuli Venezia Giulia Region (co-financing by Cramars Società Cooperativa Sociale).

Funding Year

2022