From 13 to 17 October 2026, representatives of the five organisations involved in Shared Memories: Learning from the Past to Build Europe’s Future met in Valladolid for the project’s Learning, Teaching and Training Activity (LTTA). Hosted by the European Institute for Modern Board Games (EIMBG/Ludus Magnus) at Distrito Zero, the five-day programme combined project coordination with practical work on the methodology that will guide the intergenerational workshops in Germany, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Ukraine.
The meeting began with a review of the progress made across the different work packages, with particular attention to WP2, which covers the collection of testimonies from older adults and the assessment of young people’s knowledge and perceptions of recent European history. The partners confirmed that the project is progressing according to schedule and also discussed administrative matters, project justification, expected results, sustainability and the responsibilities associated with the next phase.
A shared methodology for the intergenerational workshops
Most of the LTTA was devoted to WP3, led by EIMBG, and particularly to the design of the intergenerational workshops. Over three intensive working days, the partners defined a common structure that can be followed in every participating country while still allowing the activities to be adapted to each national and cultural context.
Each workshop will last approximately two hours. It will begin with a welcome, a brief presentation of Shared Memories and an explanation of the objectives. The central part will consist of gamified activities, including icebreakers, personal storytelling activities and games connected with historical memory. The session will conclude with a facilitated dialogue and debriefing in which participants can reflect on what they have experienced, connect past events with current European society and exchange ideas across generations. Participants will then complete a satisfaction questionnaire before the workshop closes.
During the LTTA, each partner presented and developed a specific gamification proposal for use in its own workshops. Although the activities will differ between countries, they will all follow the shared methodology and pursue the same general objectives:
- Foster dialogue between older adults and young people.
- Encourage historical reflection.
- Develop civic awareness and engagement.
- Promote European values.
This common framework will help ensure consistency across the project while giving each organisation enough flexibility to respond to its participants, local history and educational context.
From the Ukrainian pilot to implementation across Europe
Ukraine will be the first country to put the methodology into practice. Ten pilot workshops will be delivered between October and December 2026, allowing the consortium to test the complete workshop model in real settings. Participant feedback and facilitator observations will help identify strengths, practical difficulties and any changes needed before the methodology is implemented on a larger scale.
The experience gained during this pilot phase will inform the roll-out in the remaining partner countries between January and July 2027. Each country will organise ten workshops bringing together older adults and young people through games, testimonies and guided reflection on historical memory, democracy, citizenship and European values.
The final day of the LTTA focused on project results, sustainability and the next steps for the consortium. Participants also had the opportunity to discover Valladolid and strengthen the working relationships that will support the forthcoming activities.
The meeting concluded with a common methodology and a practical template that every partner can now use to prepare, deliver and evaluate its workshops. With this work completed, Shared Memories moves from the design stage towards the first direct encounters between generations.
Shared Memories is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. Project reference: 2025-1-DE02-KA220-ADU-000352972.
