The Novo mesto Development and Education Centre

This year's award-winners include a public institute for adult education: the Novo mesto Development and Education Centre (RIC). The centre is headed by Vesna Dular, a director fervently devoted to new education possibilities and opportunities. In the relatively short time span of six years, RIC developed under her guidance into an established education centre, which provides education and adult vocational training of different programmes and levels. It has also become the main research and development centre in the municipality and the entire region, and a provider of adult education with a rich choice of programmes. There are courses in personal and professional development and also creative leisure activities.

The RIC Novo mesto cannot pride itself on a long tradition, but it can claim that enthusiasm is still very strong among its employees. Their desire is to promote adult education on the widest scale possible, in diverse forms custom-made for the people who want to take. Believing that man is by nature a curious and creative being, the centre endeavours to show people how much joy learning can bring into one's life, even if we tend to describe this joy in other words. This new approach places an emphasis on lifelong learning: the RIC began organising study circles, established a Learning Exchange and the Edus Self - Learning Centre, and designed a large-scale programme, the Lifelong Learning Week. It organises free workshops on learning, time management and building a positive self-image, which are intended in particular for people with learning difficulties; it also provides an opportunity for study placements to teachers training as adult educators.

The RIC staff know that old habits die hard and that it takes several generations before new ways of thinking and patterns of behaviour take root in the consciousness of people. For this reason they also focus on running groups, informing and consultation. They are present in the local and regional press and on regional radio and TV programmes. Now they also have a new bimonthly publication NoRICe, concentrating on the popularisation of knowledge and providing information on new learning and educational opportunities, which they send to as many as 3000 individuals and institutions. Their desire is to inspire everybody so that learning would become of
personal value to all.