Experienced & motivated - Engaging seniors in volunteering

Volunteer work is often seen as something carried out by young people.
See for example the following article.

Nevertheless, volunteering is one of the most appreciated activities chosen by seniors to feel part of the community and to stay active. Older persons have a capacity and an appetite for being active which tends to be insufficiently recognised.

Engaging in mentally stimulating activities is important for the development and preservation of capacities in later life. Such possibilities need to be greatly expanded. Involving a larger number of seniors in voluntary work might turn out to be a major tool in active ageing strategies.

With 2012 being the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between generations, the EU project RIVER by die Berater® addresses the invaluable effect senior volunteering has on our societies.

RIVER stands for Recognition of  Intergenerational Volunteering Experiences and Results.

Voluntary activities can form either structured learning activities (so-called non-formal learning) in which the volunteer intentionally participates in unintentional and unstructured learning (so-called informal learning). In both cases, volunteers’ learning usually is not certified. Recognising volunteering as a form of learning is therefore a priority of EU action in education and training.