Ileu

Institut für virtuelles und reales Lernen in der Erwachsenenbildung an der Universität Ulm e.V.

Creating connections through digitalisation

Our strong points: to create connections through digitalisation

ILEU e.V. builds bridges between people of all ages and backgrounds by using digital technologies in innovative and creative ways. We combine face-to-face programmes with digital forms of information, offers and activities booking. This applies in particular to our programmes for refugees from Ukraine in the Ulm Region.
We organise online events at regional and international level (with translation tools). We are in constant contact with many refugees and local supporters via social media and have a large digital network, which leads to a high level of participation in face-to-face events.

Our approach

  • Use of digital technologies for participation and interactive involvement, especially with regard to Ukrainian refugees.
  • Continuous exchange through meetings, further training, face-to-face and online events.
  • Promotion of personal interests and talents for social integration with the use of digital tools.

Digital media are our bridges

  • Interactive online platform ViMA-Danube for information, training and networking of people from the Danube countries, or ViMA-Ulm (see below). Since March 2022, the platform has been used by Ukrainian refugees to mediate between Supply and Demand (currently available in 14 languages).
  • Use of digital Tools: Interest-based WhatsApp group ‘Ukrainehilfe / Help to Ukraine’ (with over 300 members), Facebook, Telegram, video conferencing via Zoom, survey and booking software.
  • We organise workshops and training courses on digitalisation for Ukrainians. In spring 2023, opening of the „komm.treff! Ulm-Ukraine“, a communication and internet centre in the Verschwörhaus for refugees.
  • Promotion of digital skills and digital participation: Three courses devoted to „Integration through volunteering“ have already improved participants‘ digital skills and their targeted use.
  • Two courses for Ukrainian pensioners, which helps to promote digital skills. Read more here.
Since the end of February 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began, ILEU has carried out many activities and projects online. This gave rise to many new projects and forms of work. For example, video conferences are held at local, national and international level via Zoom communication platform.
The following projects were initiated to promote joint virtual learning:
  • ViVES@BW – Virtually connected – pensioners in Baden-Württemberg.
  • DANECT – Danube-Networkers invite: Come together for connecting cultures.
Lectures, working groups, conversation groups, „Come together“ sessions and many new learning formats such as online games and others are organised as part of the projects. Further training is offered for interested groups. Personal support is also offered for online meetings in order everyone can join in and make their own contribution.
In other projects, video conferencing technology is used to work together virtually. Some examples:
  • In the DENTA project, the working groups are collaborating at local and national level, carrying out different project activities together, such as editing and writing interviews, learning how to edit videos and developing background information together. Read more here …
  • In the CODANEC and VIVES@BW project, a national and international Advent calendar was developed together with partners, volunteers and interested parties, which contains short video messages from Germany and Europe.
  • In the IN-CULT project, an online game was created through the collaboration of interested parties from all Danube countries.
  • In the ViMA – Virtuell.Mitmachen.Aktiv project, we are offering an open, multifunctional online platform in collaboration with the project „Ulm4CleverCity – Smart City Modellstadt“ carried out by the office of the Digital Agenda Ulm, which is intended to become a digital meeting place for citizens from Ulm. The aim of the project is to give different people from Ulm the opportunity to share their common interests online. The main focus is on people, for whom digital tools open availability to meet people with similar interests, share knowledge with others, or make competences and skills available to others.