PALLO Adult Education Information Office

Budapest Cultural Centre

“PALLÓ” Adult Education

Information Office

National network

project for the

life-long learning

“PALLÓ” Adult Education Information Office

„For the City ofBudapest” award

fo r the organ isa t ion , suppor t and

development of the community and

cultural activities as well as for the

development of numerous professional

services.

2

“PALLÓ” Adult Education Information Office3

Dear Reader,

You are reading the brochure of the Budapest Cultural Centre (BCC). Our institution belongs

to one of the most extensive cultural organization networks in Hungary.

In Hungary, since the Parliamentary Act of 1997 it is a mandatory duty of the community ’s local government authority to support community cultural activities in the given locality. The local public partakes in various forms of self education and community cultural education through cultural institutions, public benefit organizations and NGOs funded by the local governmental authorities. The access to community culture is facilitated by the combined effort of nearly 3000 community cultural institutions and thousands of NGOs.Regional (i.e. county) government authorities contribute to the advancement of local community culture and the activities of NGOs and cultural managers by funding various institutions and organizations that offer professional consultancy and community cultural services. In the capital, these responsibilities were assigned to the Budapest Cultural Centre by the Budapest Local Government.

Katalin Margittai, director


Introduction

Informat ion services and websites


IntroductionEstablished in 1979 by the General Assembly

of the City of Budapest, the Budapest Cultural Centre is the professional service institution of the

community cultural institutions, civil organizations and communities of the city, yet its services are

offered to the widest professional audience as well as to the general public. We have more than 120 thousand visitors every year, and the number of people who rely on our telephone information and consultancy service or visit our web pages is equally high.

Information services and websitesThe BCC collects, processes and publishes information on art and community cultural activities. Besides the BCC homepage (www.bmknet.hu), our institution edits several websites on various subjects. Our website www.kirandul.hu presents information on the green areas in and around Budapest, including maps with detailed descriptions that are designed to aid people with special needs as well.Our site www.kaleidoskop.hu suggests various cultural programs, offers interesting review articles and interviews, and introduces new CDs and books to the visitors.The www.mini t ipp.hu database presents information on children camps and helps parents choose the best possibilities for their children to spend the summer holiday. We operate a public internet access point (PIAP) for free of charge.


Professional workshops and publications

Internat ional contacts

6


Professional workshops and publicationsOur institution organizes a monthly conference

series addressing the current issues of community culture, and we also provide ample opportunity for professional workshops to experiment and function. We consider it essential to assemble methodological publications to document, inform and analyze the tendencies and processes of community culture in Hungary as well as on an international scale.

International contacts1999 marks the beginning of in ternat ional partnerships for BCC, and since 2001 the institution has joined several EU projects.Upon the success projects and the good

experiences of the last years we are open for further international co-operations in the future.


8

Adult Education

“PALLÓ” Project“and“PALLÓ Network” “Project


Adult EducationTo date, our institution offers up to 40 types of

courses for adults. We cooperate with numerous adult education institutions, universities, colleges

and NGOs by developing and launching various training programs together.

In the last few years BCC has gradually become in tegra ted in to programmes tha t ta rge t the

enhancement of certain social groups with respect to integration and improved chances in the labour market. One of these programmes called PALLÓ Project, of which goal is to familiarize the public with the concept of lifelong learning and to present easier access to such learning opportunities. We contribute to the project by providing free helpdesk service both over the phone and in the form of personal assistance in adult education information office opened in our cultural centre. We have also introduced a professional course in adult education consultancy via e-learning.In 2009 we started building a network of adult education information offices. The PALLÓ Network Project is financed by the European Union (European Social Fund).

We have designed a comprehensive program package which can be available and adapted

by other organisations. Within the framework of the project we have trained professionals who can support adults with giving appropriate

information on training possibilities.We have set up four new adult education information offices countrywide and we give help desk support for colleagues working in any of the four offices.Together with the new offices we operate a national adult education i n f o r m a t i o n s y s t e m u n d e r www.felnottkepzesinfo.hu.


“PALLÓ” “Network “Project


PALLÓ Network Project Supporting the learning adults by setting up a

national network of adult education information offices

The aim of the project is to operate adult education information offices in community cultural centres by • disseminating the results of our former PALLÓ Project

• outlining the possibility of the adaptation • ensuring professional and methodological support.

This project has been funded with support from the EU, coofunded by the European Social Fund.

The elements of the project:– methodological demonstration and coach programme in the four cooperating institutions in order to involve and inform them– drawing up a study which erasures the smooth implementation of the model – edition of a comprehensive programme package which can be adapted – ensuring the conditions of joining the information system on the internet (www.felnottkepzesinfo.hu)– editing and publishing a booklet for adults titled Compass to Adult Education– training professionals and preparing them to the consultancy work– developing a marketing communication conception (reaching the target group can benefit from the service, planning common visual identity etc.)– operating help desk services for the consultants– designing a publication about the project in Hungarian and in English– drawing up a recommendation to decision makers which contains suggest ions regarding the law environment which supports the sustainability of the model.


12



The adaptable Programme package of the adult education information office will also be

available for those organisations which are not involved in the project.

Homepage and further information can be found under www.pallo.bmknet.hu.

PALLÓ Adult Education Information OfficeThe information service helps to find your way around the educational possibilities. The information service offers help in finding and choosing the most suitable course. It gives information on the adult education law and on subsidies, too. The consultancy is tailored to the personal needs and is free of charge.

Who can use this service?• those looking for learning opportunities• those who would like to return to the labour market

Where can you find the PALLÓ offices?Budapest: XI., XII I . distr ict; Békés; Debrecen; Veszprém.

The adult education information office keeps in touch with labour offices, career advisor offices

as well as other supporter organisations; therefore the information office can also

support those adults who face special needs and problems.Information can be found on the following homepage (www.felnottkepzesinfo.hu) where regional vers ions are also available. The homepage collects and systemises various adult education related information and ensures local uploads.


Training Programme for Consultants


Training Programme for Consultants

The 90 hour training equips the participants with the following competences

• giving information and guidance to adults using the relevant internet information resources individually

• setting up and operating help-desk services• using online advisor programmes • supporting the e-learning process

The participants among others learn about the educational forms and topics, subsidies, law and the current issues of the labour market. Besides the traditional form of education the course builds on e-learning with which the participants receive tutors’ support. The online curricula can be found under http://pallo.bmknet.hu.

The course is also available for those who are not involved in the project.

Budapest Cultural Centre (BCC)55 Etele út

1119 BudapestHUNGARY

Tel: +36 1 371 2760Fax: +36 1 371 2761

E-mail: [email protected]

The project has been funded with support from the EU,coofunded by the European Social Fund.

Project number: TÁMOP 1.4.3-08/2-2009-0003

Picture credits www.sxc.hu and the BCC archive.

Published by: BUDAPEST CULTURAL CENTREExecutive publisher: Katalin Margittai, director

Documents

PALLO Adult Education Information Office