Our team was invited by the Institute for Professional Development of Vytautas Magnus University Academy of Education for a teaching visit that tool place on 27-29 April 2022. Luca László, our Project Manager and Eszter Salamon, our Director had the opportunity to meet colleagues from Lithuania and other countries as well as students of the University. We have also concluded an agreement on Parents International contributing to the regular teaching programme of the University from September 2022.

The starting point of the visit was an invitation for Parents International to present the Parenting Together and ELPIDA projects at the conference Social Emotional Learning to Empower Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD held at the magnificent conference room of the Lithuanian Parliament. The event also offered a possibility for us to initiate a collaboration with Nitzan, the Israeli Association for Children and Adults with Learning Disabilities, the co-organiser of the conference.

The visit coincided with the 100th Anniversary of the University, thus we were also invited to participate at the celebratory meeting of the University Senate followed by a wonderful concert at Kaunas Philharmonia, to meet its leaders as well as students and teachers. We could also listen to presentations of student research projects and contribute to their further development at a Student Conference “Freedom to Create”.

According to our hosts, we have reached a wide range of people during these few days, hopefully with a lasting impact. In our audience we had students of the teacher re-requalification study programmes Social Education and Special Education, participants of in-service teacher training programmes – both teachers and school leaders -, Master’s degree students of the Social Education study programme, Doctoral students in Special Education, and members of the international academic community in the form of peer learning.

To support this lasting impact, we have agreed to collaborate on the translation of relevant tools developed in various Parents International projects to Lithuanian. From September 2022 onwards, we will also contribute regularly to the Institute’s trainings as guest lecturers.