Why the name "Grundtvig"?

Why the name "Grundtvig"?
Nikolai Frederik Severin Grundtvig (1783–1872), a Danish clergyman and writer, is regarded as the founder of the Nordic tradition of "learning for life". His "folk high school" concept was based on the idea that education must be available to all citizens throughout life and should encompass not only knowledge but also civic responsibility and personal and cultural development.

It is always a good time to learn! – The Grundtvig Programme
An eff ective Europe-wide system for lifelong learning is central to achieving the European Union’s ambitious policy objective of raising economic growth and competitiveness while nonetheless strengthening social inclusion. Adult education has a vital role to play in this regard – in raising the level of knowledge, skills and competences among the adult population, in providing a crucial second chance for the large number of adults who leave school early, and in helping to address the societal challenge of Europe’s ageing population.
Recognising these needs, the European Commission has launched a new policy initiative – the Action Plan for Adult Learning – designed to boost the attractiveness and accessibility of adult learning opportunities, improve the quality of adult education provision, implement systems for recognising the outcomes of non-formal and informal learning, and improve the monitoring of the adult education sector.
The Grundtvig Programme for adult learning has both contributed strongly to the development of these initiatives and is a key instrument for their further development and implementation. It provides the vital bridge between policy and practice, enabling adult educators in over 30 countries to work together on developing innovative approaches, giving local providers the chance to link up with partners abroad to develop joint cooperative initiatives, and opening up a wide range of opportunities for adult education staff and learners to cross national borders in search of new opportunities for training and knowledge.
Launched in 2000 in the framework of the Socrates II Programme, Grundtvig covers all levels and sectors of adult education and all forms of learning: formal, non-formal and informal. It is open to all sectors of the adult population, but gives special attention to those with particular needs: people lacking basic education and qualifi cations, people living in rural or disadvantaged areas, people who are disadvantaged for socio-economic reasons, people with disabilities or severe learning problems, and social groups which are "hard to reach" and which do not generally tend to take part in educational initiatives. With the adoption of the Lifelong Learning Programme in 2007, Grundtvig has also been given the strategic objective of responding to the educational challenge of an ageing population in Europe.

In the framework of the Lifelong Learning Programme, Grundtvig con tinues to support several actions:
• Individual mobility to further the professional development of trainers/teachers and other staff in adult education
• Multilateral Projects and Networks in the fi eld of adult education
• Learning Partnerships between adult education institutions from diff erent European countries.