Short biography 

Hello everyone! My name is Lucia Ielpo and I am honoured to serve as an Erasmus+ Ambassador in the field of adult learning. Over the last few years, my involvement with the EPALE platform has grown significantly. This online network has been a tremendous source of inspiration, encouraging me to further support our community events. Empowerment is stronger when it is shared. Through peer learning, women entrepreneurs turn their experiences into springboards for each other's success.

My Story 

The remarkable strength of the EPALE platform lies in its ability to benefit both the individual and the collective. Your contributions - whether writing a blog or sharing an event - are recognised as valuable. You can be confident that you are making a difference by supporting fellow educators, while receiving support and encouragement from the whole community.

Your voice matters and you are part of a larger collective identity. Being part of this 'whole' not only broadens your perspective with new insights, but also enhances your critical thinking by pushing you beyond your comfort zone and challenging your limits.

The most rewarding aspect of this online network is the invisible thread that connects you to the whole community. Your work contributes to a mosaic that only makes sense when viewed from a broader perspective. It's like standing in front of a painting made up of tiny, almost invisible dots; only from a distance does the full picture emerge. EPALE represents this "vision" and you are an integral part of it.

I believe that Epale should increase its visibility to further influence the field of education and academic research. It is essential to broaden its presence and encourage the participation of all stakeholders in adult education, from small organisations to larger institutions. This participation can encourage involvement in European events, allowing practitioners to share and compare their practices with those from other European countries. 

In this context, I envisage changes that would facilitate the growth of Epale from the grassroots. This includes broadening participation by including 'smaller voices' that often go unheard due to their lack of strong institutional visibility. By doing so, we can create a more inclusive platform that represents a diverse range of experiences and insights in adult education.

Since joining the Erasmus+ EDA Ambassadors Network, I have experienced a deep sense of belonging that has deepened my engagement with critical issues in adult education. The ongoing exchange of experiences and events with fellow Ambassadors and other EPALE members has reinvigorated my projects and initiatives, resulting in a renewed commitment and enthusiasm to share my ideas with the wider community.In addition, my involvement in Erasmus+ projects and transnational cooperation activities has allowed me to connect with many talented people across Europe. This involvement has significantly broadened my knowledge base; for example, I have begun to seriously consider the topic of restorative justice, among others.

One of the most rewarding experiences I have had the honour to share with EPALE is the series of webinars on plurilingualism in out-of-school contexts, organised by the University of Venice 'Ca' Foscari'.

I firmly believe that EPALE has the potential to serve as a powerful tool to promote a new educational culture based on the concept of 'contamination'. We need to combine formal learning with non-formal and informal approaches and broaden our perspective on informal settings for educational practices.

Epale is like a work of art to me. Like the technique of 'pointillism', it creates a beautiful mosaic of countless tiny dots, each representing individuals with their unique stories and practices. Together they form an elaborate tapestry. It is like a choir, where your voice is indistinguishable because you are part of the 'whole', yet you know that your presence makes a difference.