About ECIM Hypokamp
Association HIPOKAMP is a Centre for Intergenerational Integration, focused on the activities for the seniors and developed with them, according to their expectations and capabilities. We are involved in a lot of groups of interest as well as local and governmental authorities, dealing with the goal “active and healthy ageing”, which we understood very wide and interdisciplinary. The main concern at the moment is to implement the recommendations from the Policy Papers and to identify and solve the most urgent problems. The challenge is also to integrate the planning and thinking in the demographic and population ageing context to all the strategies on the local, communities level. That’s why, the gerontological education and information campaigns are very important, as well as civil society empowerment to be strong enough to face the future difficulties and complicated social changes. Our Association promotes also the idea “age friendly cities/communities” in all the aspects, as the suitable tool and signpost for the seniors policy as a whole. Association HIPOKAMP is a provider of the educational and activating, supporting work in the communities, focused on the elders and, what is significant, the intergenerational dimension in demographic context. We support seniors clubs and other non-formal seniors groups; we cooperate with nursing homes and daily stay houses/facilities for seniors. We are a publisher of the free Senior Citizens Newspaper, where the voice of persons age 60+ can be heart and can show their own point of view on current problems and situation. The number of seniors engaged in the newspaper is still increasing. The title: “My, M-Łodzi Duchem” – “We, Young at Heart”. The newspaper appears in Lodz – the city where HIPOKAMP is located and is distributed to other communities. We are a member of Cluster “Żyjmy zdrowiej” – “Let’s Live Healthier” http://zyjmyzdrowiej.umed.pl and consortium Pro Age http://pro-age.com.pl as well as EURAG Association – on the international level.
The Team
Grazyna Busse
Local coordinator
Master in Pedagogy in the Field of Adult Education and Social Gerontology, graduate of Faculty of Educational Science and postgraduate studies “Social Gerontology” of Faculty of Economics and Sociology of the University of Lodz, German language teacher – graduate of College of Foreign Languages by the University of Lodz. Initiator and co-founder of expert association Educational Centre of Intergenerational Integration HIPOKAMP, founded in 2011. Author of substantive justification for the creation of the Centre of Intergenerational Initiatives, launched by the The Centre Of Extracurricular Education no.2 in Lodz – the coordinator of the Centre; initiator of creation and tutor of Seniors Club “Young at Heart”; the editor-in-chief of the social newspaper for seniors in Lodz “We, young at Heart” Author of substantive justification for initiation of creation the Council of Elders of Lodz; she supports and conducts educational activities concerning public participation of seniors and functioning of councils of seniors. Vice-President of the Commission for Social Dialogue for Demographic Policy and Cooperation between Generations by The City of Lodz Office – the initiator and co-organiser of meetings, training courses and seminars on the demographic challenges in the context of aging. She is coordinator and originator of number of national & international projects concerning the idea of “active aging in good health” and popularizing of gerontological and geragogical knowledge as well as creating space for educational activities in order to strengthen intergenerational dialogue and cooperation between generations. Since 2008 she has been conducting practical courses for various groups of seniors, not only in urban communities but also in small towns and villages of province of Lodz. She cooperates with many organizations and institutions nationwide, whose activities profile is consistent with the above mentioned areas. Board member of the Lodz branch of the Polish Society of Gerontology; co-creates Pro Age Consortium – Gerontotechnology and Gerontological Education Lab. She is very active involved in creating of the curriculas at the new, innovative field of study in Medical University in Lodz: MANAGED SENIOR CARE. The idea of the study is to implement practical, professional knowledge and experience, what will be shared together with multidisciplinar theorethical programe.
Mariola Bertram
Master in Pedagogy in the Field of Adult Education and Social Gerontology, graduate of Faculty of Educational Science of the University of Lodz. Teacher and trainer; co-founder and Board Member in the HIPOKAMP ASSOCIATION; teacher with 35 years, Expert in intergenerational learning and training programs. Creator and consultant in the field of cognitive trainings for 55+ age groups (with a special interest in dementia disorders) with the ICT implementation and digital resource support. Coordinator and supporting, responsible person in all the projects and activities in HIPOKAMP Association since 2011.
Maria Magdalena Poulain
MA in Cultural Studies, graduate of the Faculty of Philology of the University of Lodz, specialist in culteral geragogy, journalist, ICT skills educator of the 50+ generation (certificate of the Ministry of Administration and Digitisation and the Association “Cities on the Internet”). From 2013 co-founder and president of the management board of FOUNDATION 2035; from 2015 member of the Mobile ICT/Digital Education Team for 50+ providing educational and advisory services in the area of Lodz and also in small communes, coach and social animator (certificated), over 3000 hours of workshops, lectures and classes on social and civic activation of older people, coordinator of granted projects. From 2013 co-founder and president of the management board of FOUNDATION 2035; classes in various groups of seniors, both in urban communities, as well as in small towns and villages of the province Lodz, also at the invitation of Universities of the Third Age in Lodz and the Lodz region. Actively involved in creating the curricula’s at the new, innovative field of study in Medical University in Lodz: MANAGED SENIOR CARE. Chairman of the Commission for Social Dialogue for Demographic Policy and Cooperation between Generations by The City of Lodz Office. Consultant and co-creator of the local Demographic Policy for City Lodz, titled “Lodz Connects Generations” from 2016. 2035 Foundation – the non-profit, expert organization, specialized in educational activities, directed to the older adults; engaged in several local projects, also in rural areas; experienced in the field of digital educational trainings for different groups of seniors. 2035 Foundation could be responsible and contribute in the implementation of all the activities undertaken in the Partnership, extending the outreach and approach. There is a FB profile – network – Serdeczna sieć ( Hearty Network ) where all the learning seniors meet and share information; https://www.facebook.com/Serdeczna-sieć ; www.2035.pl. Since 2018, he has been working as an adviser with the Regional Social Policy Center in the Lodz Voivodeship and the Regional Social Policy Center in the Opolskie Voivodeship (project Independent life – working out a standard and conducting a pilot project in assisted housing for people with neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease and elderly people).