Intergenerational university MENDELU
The Intergenerational University was founded at the Institute of Lifelong Learning as a unique pilot project. It allows seniors and their grandchildren to spend more free time together and learn not only together but also from each other.
The main goals of intergenerational education are to promote positive relationships between grandparents and grandchildren, improve social cohesion and reduce the intergenerational gap.
In 2019, the authors of the project received the prestigious Rector‘s Award for their significant contribution to the development of civil society. The Intergenerational University has been running since 2019 and has already its first graduates.
Intergenerational programmes
There are two intergenerational programmes for engaged grandparents to attend with their grandchildren aged 9-13. The programme consists of six sessions, which take the form of practical exercises at different workplaces of Mendel University in Brno and focus on the plant and animal kingdoms. During the meetings, the participants learn the secrets of medicinal plants, work with microscopes, learn about cattle breeding and milk storage at the school farm, visit food production labs, arboretum in Brno or Křtiny, and learn about the life cycle of plants in the thematic gardens in Lednice.
Grandparents and their grandchildren can also broaden their knowledge at the summer holiday intergenerational university. They go out to discover the secrets of the forest and life in it, try to make
fresh cheese in the university laboratories and make various decorations from unwanted materials in the creative workshop while learning about recycling.