According to the Erasmus+ program grant agreement No. 2022-1-LV01-KA122-ADU-000077946, the Education and Language Center “MIRTE” implemented the Erasmus+ project titled “Quality Education with Erasmus+” from October 1, 2022, to September 30, 2023. Within the project, 6 instructors from the Education and Language Center “MIRTE” attended the following courses:

• Digital Competences for Educators;
• Digital Education Tools;
• Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking;
• Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking;
• Training Course Mindfulness;
• Heritage Landscapes, Museums, and Portuguese Culture.

Participants’ photos and feedback on the project implementation:

• Ivars Ozols, an instructor at the Education and Language Center “MIRTE”:

“In Greece, Athens, I attended the ‘Digital Education Tools’ course. The course helped me improve digital skills using tools available online, enhancing the teaching process and thereby fostering greater interest in the subject /English language/ and the teaching process itself. The course took place at a training center in the heart of Athens. The language center is modernly equipped with the necessary IT equipment. The instructor was knowledgeable, responsive, and accommodating. Formalities and documentation were handled promptly, and everything met the project implementation needs. Every day, we used computers and the internet to acquire relevant knowledge for working with modern technologies. We created various tasks, survey sheets, assessment tables, and in a group of 6 people, everything was analyzed, checked, and adapted to each instructor’s needs and subject. The course material can modernize, speed up, and improve the teaching process in any subject at any educational level. Nowadays, IT is an integral part of life for both learners and teachers – new teaching programs and platforms are created every day, but due to overload, many teachers do not use them because they simply do not know how. These courses help overcome this problem and move closer to the status of a 21st-century teacher. I will share the acquired knowledge with my colleagues, management, and all interested parties.”

• Ināra Freimane-Gutāne, director of the Education and Language Center “MIRTE”:

“As part of the ERASMUS+ project, Ināra Freimane-Gutāne, director of the Education and Language Center MIRTE, participated in exchange experience courses in Malaga: ‘In a short time, I managed to gain rich and comprehensive experience.’ The aim of this delegation was to understand the importance of human communication, acquire practical skills in creating a learning environment, collaboration, problem-solving, and strengthening European cooperation skills in educational processes. As a result of the delegation, Ināra Freimane-Gutāne learned the latest teaching methods, including ways to create a positive learning environment, avoid conflicts, promote creativity and critical thinking, and effectively solve problems in the educational process. The acquired knowledge was integrated into daily work at the Education and Language Center “MIRTE”, offering trainees a stimulating and modern learning experience. The director gladly shared her insights, conclusions, and suggestions, emphasizing the need to continue cooperation with other institutions at both the national and international levels. Her commitment to sharing innovations and continuing to work in education with high standards is inspiring. This mobility reflects the commitment of the Education and Language Center “MIRTE” to participate in the international education community, promoting innovation and offering trainees the best possible learning experience.”

• Kitija Burnicka, an instructor at the Education and Language Center “MIRTE”:

“Thank you for the wonderful and exciting Erasmus+ courses in Malaga, Spain! The instructor Iris deserves a lot of credit for her teaching method and the exciting topics: ‘COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION, CREATIVITY, AND CRITICAL THINKING,’ which completely changed my perspective. Thanks to her experience and teaching method, I want to improve my skills anew, and they also helped me see the learning process as more effective, interesting, and very enjoyable. Many thanks to the Erasmus+ project for such an opportunity and experience. I also recommend other training center instructors to participate in Erasmus+ courses to enhance and enrich their experience.”

• Kristīne Mūrniece, an instructor at the Education and Language Center “MIRTE”:

“As part of the project, I undertook two mobilities – ‘Mindfulness’ in Spain and ‘Culture and Heritage’ in Portugal. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn various methods on how not to burn out in daily work, how to create a positive and creative atmosphere in the classroom, and how to diversify the teaching process by implementing training outside the classroom.”

• Ināra Freimane-Gutāne, director of the Education and Language Center “MIRTE”:

“Ināra Freimane-Gutāne, the director of the Education and Language Center “MIRTE”, attended the ‘Digital Competences for Educators’ course, where she gained deeper insight into digital environment opportunities, learned the latest teaching methods, and engaged in valuable knowledge exchange with other EU adult education institution instructors. During the pandemic, when educational institutions experienced a significant phase of digital transformation, both schools and learners were forced to acquire new digital skills and experiment with the digital environment. Even though the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 are now a thing of the past, online learning and digital tools continue to be a crucial aspect of educational processes.

Ināra emphasized that the digital environment is rapidly evolving, and artificial intelligence currently plays a central role in Digital Development, offering both numerous positive opportunities and new challenges. She highlighted the need to keep up with digital progress, striving to understand and integrate it in the most beneficial way into the educational process. The director emphasized that the knowledge and methodological materials acquired are already being actively used in her daily work. She shared the knowledge with other instructors at the Language and Education Center “MIRTE” and actively collaborates with other adult education institutions at the international level.”