A Glimpse into a Polish–Hungarian Erasmus Project for Seniors
At the end of June, fifteen members of the Vadvirág Retirement Club from Csobánka spent a week in Włocławek, Poland. The Erasmus+ project, Future Tense: Everyone Deserves a Pen-Friend, was conceived and led by the Polish foundation Fundacja Lateral Thinking, with the Budapest-based FolkFest Cultural Association serving as the project’s implementation partner.
The project's objectives include supporting seniors in improving their language skills, expanding their digital competences, and promoting arts-based learning alongside cultural visits. During the mobility, the Polish hosts warmly welcomed the Hungarian participants and prepared a rich and engaging programme for them. At innovative workshops, participants had the opportunity to try the project's specially developed educational and communication games (See & Say and In Your Future I Can See), while exciting Kahoot quizzes helped them further develop their language skills, memory, and narrative thinking.
The participants also enjoyed a variety of cultural and creative experiences. They visited the Włocławek Contemporary Art Gallery, explored the Browar B Cultural Centre, and took part in a ceramics workshop at the Faience Museum, where they created their own unique pieces. The group also travelled to the historic city of Toruń, where they visited its famous landmarks as well as the Planetarium. Another memorable experience was the spa park of Wieniec Zdrój. In the afternoons, the group participated in relaxing Qi Gong sessions held in Sienkiewicz Park. The programme concluded with a traditional Polish bonfire (ognisko), where music and dancing brought together the fifteen Hungarian and fifteen Polish seniors, strengthening the friendships they had formed throughout the week.
Despite the long train journey and the intensive schedule, the members of the Vadvirág Retirement Club returned home to Csobánka full of youthful energy, good spirits, new friendships, and memories that will last a lifetime. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our Polish friends for their wonderful organization and warm hospitality.
The successful implementation of the project was also supported by the Budapest Cultural Centre, which provided technical equipment, while our institution’s international referent personally participated in the delivery of the programme.
The project is funded by the European Union, under the project ID: 2025-1-PL01-KA210-ADU-000350566.