Stories & Impact

When SISERA Greece received its Erasmus+ Adult Accreditation, we viewed it as more than an administrative success. For us, it marked the beginning of a systematic effort to strengthen the organisation from within — to give our team the structure, tools, and international perspective needed to design and deliver quality adult education projects.

The first year of our accredited plan focused on one clear objective: improving our competence in the management and implementation of European projects. To achieve this, members of our staff participated in two intensive training courses, one in Vienna and one in Reykjavik. Both experiences became, in different ways, laboratories of learning.
Learning from practice, not from theory The courses addressed topics that every educational organisation eventually faces: how to plan projects that respond to real needs, how to manage budgets responsibly, and how to measure
outcomes beyond numbers. Yet, the greatest value did not lie in the content itself, but in the way the
learning took place.

In Vienna, participants attended workshops that simulated the full life cycle of an Erasmus+ project — from the initial idea to dissemination and follow-up. Small groups of educators from various European countries worked together to define a local educational challenge and turn it into a realistic project proposal. The exercise revealed how essential it is to start from the problem, not from the funding call. Good project design begins with the question “why” rather than “how.”

The Reykjavik course complemented this approach with a focus on organisation. Participants explored project management models, digital monitoring tools, and frameworks for internal communication. By the end of the training, it became clear that the key to sustainability is not only creativity but also consistency. A project can succeed only when processes are clear, responsibilities are shared, and information flows freely.

Working across cultures
Beyond the technical content, both mobilities offered the chance to observe how different educational cultures approach similar issues. Talking to colleagues from Finland, Spain, or Croatia revealed how varied the interpretations of “quality” can be — and yet how often the same obstacles arise: limited time, administrative overload, and the struggle to turn experience into measurable impact. These exchanges were not abstract. During one session in Reykjavik, for example, participants compared how their organisations record project expenses. What began as a discussion about forms turned into a deeper conversation about transparency and trust. The Icelandic trainer remarked that “reporting is not about control; it is about learning what we can do better next time.” That simple remark stayed with our team.

Bringing the lessons home
Back in Greece, SISERA applied the lessons from these mobilities immediately.
We reviewed our internal workflow, designed templates for project planning, and introduced short mentoring sessions so that staff members who did not travel could benefit from those who did. We also created a shared digital archive for project management — a living space where all materials, reports, and resources are easily accessible to the entire team.

This process may sound procedural, but its effect was personal. Colleagues who once hesitated to take initiative began to suggest new project ideas; coordination meetings became shorter and more focused; and the organisation developed a shared vocabulary around quality and accountability.

The Erasmus+ training did not change our identity; it gave us the confidence to act deliberately. It reminded us that professionalism in adult education is not defined by the size of the organisation but by the clarity of its practices.
Looking ahead

As we move into the second year of our Accreditation, the emphasis will shift from learning how to manage projects to learning how to multiply their value — through partnerships, community collaboration, and inclusion activities. The foundation has been set: a team that can plan, deliver, and evaluate with purpose.

The first year of Erasmus+ Accreditation has shown us that European cooperation begins with small, concrete steps inside each organisation. When these steps are consistent, they eventually create a path — a path that leads not only to new projects but to a stronger, more thoughtful way of working in adult education.