Super Senior comic;
Credit: Nadine Scholtes
Luxembourg's intergenerational school support service "Super Senior" has been selected as a finalist in the “social inclusion” category of the European Network for Rural Development's (ENRD) Rural Inspiration Awards 2021.
The Rural Inspiration Awards (RIA) recognise innovative initiatives that demonstrate the contribution of rural development policy to a more competitive, sustainable and inclusive rural Europe.
Super Senior is a story of success and intergenerational networking: the initial idea was to develop a service where senior citizens voluntarily help primary school children with their homework. Today, this service operates in thirteen municipalities in Luxembourg and includes sixteen senior citizens who have already supported 45 children. It will soon be active in an additional nine municipalities, bringing the total number of volunteers to 29.
This service also aims to benefit senior citizens by allowing them to remain connected to young people, maintain their knowledge and increase social contacts. It is also beneficial for parents and teachers.
The project was developed by the non-profit Mouvement pour l'Egalité des Chances (MEC; movement for equal opportunities, with the financial support of the local action group (LAG) LEADER Regioun Mëllerdall. LEADER is an initiative of the European Union (EU) and forms an integral part of the national rural development policy that the Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development has been implementing since 1991.
Luxembourg's Minister of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development, Romain Schneider, was particularly pleased to see that "the LEADER initiative has contributed to the development of the very first intergenerational homework assistance service in Luxembourg!"
He also pointed out the nomination of the LEADER transnational cooperation project “Slow Trips”, an Austrian project carried out in partnership with the Luxembourg LEADER regions Atert-Wark and Lëtzebuerg West.
The ENRD will award this year's RIA prizes on 25 March 2021.
Everyone is welcome to vote for the winner of the popular vote award here, by midnight on 24 March 2021.
