The article examines the empowerment of older adults to participate in educational activities in order to remain active members of the society. Empowerment is defined as the activation of the member to act on the basis of inner and outer resources. The growing number of older people in the society prompt to constantly review and adjust the resources of the society in the area of economy, education and health care to the new needs. Therefore, in order that older people would feel a fulfilling quality of life, it is necessary to promote them to be active, underpin social roles, provide them possibilities to engage in volunteering, educational, cultural activity and learn new things.
The article reviews the regulatory legal documents for non-formal adult education and lists the diversity of institutions providing non-formal adult education. Non-formal adult education forms a large part of a permanent education system and is an active factor in stimulating Lithuanian democracy growth; it empowers individuals and social groups to deal with social, economical and political problems by advanced critical thinking and assists adults in gaining diverse approaches to tolerance. A system of non-formal education consists of training institutions, voluntary organizations, culture and education institutions, commercial establishments and groups of mutual support. Media and modern information technologies play an important role in this system. Non-formal adult education through its complexities and structural diversity develops conceptual change and behavior of the individuals in the complicated and ever changing modern world.
The article reviews the experience of people arranging studies involving information and communication technologies into the University of the Third Age studies organization. Life expectancy is longer and the birth rate is lower in proportion to older age people; due to these facts, the ageing is even more noticeable. This situation requires certain measures, which would be effective in the future. Non-formal education institutions, including University of the Third Age, react to the changes and offer trainings which help older people to maintain working-capacity, physical, social and psychological health. In order to provide greater benefits, it is important to pay attention not only to the students of the Third Age but to the needs and changes of society on the whole. It is obvious that in the twenty-first century life is hardly imaginable without information-communication technologies (ICT), which are not only rapidly growing and modifying but are also integrating and changing each and every one aspects of people`s lives, regardless of their age. Therefore, it is extremely important that elder persons have at least minimal of computer literacy and ICT skills in order to conform to modern society standards.
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