A versatile team, a versatile journey: our learning week in Tuscany 17/03/2026

A versatile team, a versatile journey: our learning week in Tuscany

A versatile team, a versatile journey: our learning week in Tuscany

Three colleagues from Crescendo CVO travelled to Tuscany for a week filled with inspiring and intensive activities in the field of adult education.
Each day brought new insights, warm connections and memorable examples that will continue to inspire us.

Authentic language education in action

Our NT2 (Dutch as a second language) teacher Conny delivered workshops on Alternative Ways, an Erasmus+ collaboration centred on playful, authentic and non‑formal language learning.
Originally developed for low‑skilled adults, the method is easily adaptable to groups of younger or more highly educated newcomers.

Conny gave sessions in the CPIAs of Massa Carrara, Prato and Poggibonsi, each time for a different audience:

• a room with more than 40 teachers,

• a hybrid workshop with online participants,

• and smaller groups who immediately engaged in hands‑on activities.

Everywhere, the focus was on learning through doing, moving and exploring.

Policy and vision at the international level

Director Marleen participated in a panel discussion at the Didacta education fair in Florence, where she highlighted the crucial role of regions in adult education.

Later, in Lucca, she joined the UNESCO Learning Cities meeting, engaging with the Chair of UNESCO Learning Cities. These exchanges helped strengthen international networks and offered valuable insights into how cities stimulate lifelong learning.

Communication as a lever

Colleague Ariane delivered a workshop on communication within adult education.
How do you position your centre? How do you reach your target audience? How do you stay visible?

The discussion quickly shifted towards internal communication, a topic many schools recognise. It became an open conversation about how teams share information, support each other and stay aligned.

Jobshadowing: learning from inspiring practices

During jobshadowing sessions, we observed several Italian‑for‑non‑native-speakers classes and discovered inspiring practices:

• project-based learning: Who am I? What am I proud of? What are my strengths?

• co‑teaching with a warm and safe learning climate

• music in the background to support focus

• technology and creativity combined: learners wrote difficult terms on digital screens in their own language while building their own solar system models

One thing stood out: everyone participated — actively, curiously and enthusiastically.

We also visited several staff rooms that were true creative hubs, filled with ongoing projects, materials and ideas — places where collaboration felt natural.

Education behind the walls: a special visit to the prison of Prato

One of the most impactful experiences was our visit to the prison of Prato.
We saw how detainees follow lessons in real classrooms, with a sense of freedom and trust inside the learning space. They attend voluntarily, feel encouraged and supported, and show strong motivation to learn.

The management strongly embraces innovation and creativity. The walls are covered with artworks created by inmates, and we witnessed a remarkable encounter between secondary school students and detainees discussing life in prison — an honest and moving conversation.

A week of growth and international connection

Our study trip to Tuscany was a week of learning, exploring and growing together.
We returned with fresh ideas, new connections and plenty of inspiration for our own learners and teams.

Learning without borders is more than a motto — it is what we live every day.