Maria Kristiansen receives the prestigious European Innovative Teaching Award 2026

In their project, the group has developed new learning approaches for people aged 50 and above with limited literacy, digital, and health literacy skills across the three countries.

The theme of this year's European Innovative Teaching Award is “Skills for Life.” Launched by the European Commission in 2021, the award recognizes both the tangible results of a project and its contribution to advancing teaching and education in Europe. It is presented to early childhood education and care providers, primary and secondary schools, youth education institutions, and adult education providers that have implemented outstanding Erasmus+-supported projects with a strong focus on innovation in teaching and learning.

Speaking about receiving the award, Maria Kristiansen said:

“It was absolutely fantastic to win an award for our project. I had never experienced that before, especially not from the EU. It means a great deal to me.”

An earlier and more challenging old age

The course materials developed through “LOLit – Low Literacy at Play”, and the project as a whole, were created in response to groups of older adults who are difficult to reach through traditional health communication because they lack literacy and digital skills. As a result, they may experience a decline in quality of life and health at an earlier stage than groups with better or easier access to relevant information. For this reason, it is particularly important to identify new pathways to knowledge and learning for these individuals.

Educational materials developed together with the intended users

The learning materials, which include health-related conversation cards, were developed and tested through close collaboration with members of the target group, particularly older adults in vulnerable situations and older adults from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Participants explored topics such as healthy ageing, nutrition, well-being, social relationships, and digital safety through games, dialogue, and peer learning. They also expressed a preference for materials based on game-based learning and discussions with peers.

As part of the project, a free toolkit and training programme for educators and volunteers have also been developed in four languages.

Maria Kristiansen elaborates:

“We have also tried to design the educational materials so that they can easily be used in a wide range of settings. You can use them yourself together with people in your own network; there is no need to attend a senior club or community meeting place. For some older adults in the target group, even the cost of transportation, such as a bus ticket, can prevent them from participating or can contribute to a feeling of exclusion from a community.”

The new course materials are freely available in four languages and are already being used in senior centres and community drop-in centres.

All award recipients will be celebrated at an event in Brussels later this year.