On Thursday, 25 June at 3:00 pm, the Ulm network “Social Inclusion and Education in Old Age” will be presenting its new brochure online. The 55-page informational booklet entitled “Shape Your Own Ageing Process”, which contains a wide range of offers for senior citizens in the areas of education and inclusion, was originally scheduled to be presented to the public in the Ulm city centre in mid-March. This event had to be cancelled, however, due to the corona pandemic. Now we are making up for the skipped presentation in digital form, on the YouTube channel of the Centre for General Scientific Continuing Education (das Zentrum für Allgemeine Wissenschaftliche Weiterbildung, ZAWiW) at Ulm University. During the interactive event, which is scheduled to last 45 minutes, both local citizens and media representatives will have the opportunity to pose their questions. Iris Mann, Ulm’s mayor for culture, education and social affairs, will also be participating.
“Social isolation is a major problem for many senior citizens and the COVID-19 pandemic has not improved the situation for many people. This makes it all the more important for us to provide senior citizens with ideas on how to become socially involved. For many, the transition to retirement is a big enough challenge in itself. It is a time when people start asking themselves what is important at this stage in life”, relates Mayor Mann, who will be contributing an introductory message to the online presentation of the brochure. The Ulm-based network “Social Inclusion and Education in Old Age” can provide orientation for senior citizens. “Together with other educational institutions, we want to open up new opportunities for inclusion in Ulm. One the one hand, educational offers that are already in existence should be advertised to a broader audience. On the other hand, we also want to develop new offers for senior citizens who are not accustomed to education, to get them out of their environment”, explains Dr Markus Marquard, managing director of the Centre for General Scientific Continuing Education (ZAWiW). ZAWiW – and in particular academic assistant Eva Hrabal – was entrusted with editing the informational brochure.
“People who are socially disadvantaged and less educated are at a particularly high risk of becoming socially isolated and lonely in old age”, explains Dr Ilse Winter, former regional director of the Ulm/Alb-Donau Social Welfare Association (paritätischer Wohlfahrtsverband). Winter will be giving a short talk during the YouTube presentation. The new “Shape Your Own Ageing Process” brochure not only compiles various offers, sponsors and stakeholders, but also portraits senior citizens who demonstrate the possibilities for living a self-determined life in old age. The Ulm network “Social Inclusion and Education in Old Age” was established in 2016 on the initiative of ZAWiW, the Multi-Generation Club and the Ulm Adult Education Centre (Volkshochschule). The City of Ulm is also a part of this network of educational institutions, charity organisations and organisations for senior citizens. The network aims to develop and publicise new offers in the area of “social inclusion and education in old age”. Selected network partners will give short video presentations to introduce themselves during the online event.
Text and mediacontact: Andrea Weber-Tuckermann