Frequently Asked Questions

POU Courses are an initiative by the Public Open University Čakovec (POU Čakovec), an Erasmus+ accredited and acclaimed provider of adult education in Croatia. Leveraging POU Čakovec’s rich expertise, extensive experience, and profound knowledge, POU Courses aim to provide high-quality professional development opportunities for staff from diverse organisations.

The courses are designed to create an engaging and impactful educational experience by seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology, hands-on activities, and best environmental practices. Learning activities in state-of-the-art lecture halls are complemented by study visits and practical exercises at local environmental sites, ensuring a dynamic, inclusive and immersive learning journey for all participants.

By participating in POU Courses, individuals from various sectors can enhance their skills, gain new knowledge, and contribute to the intellectual and social development of their respective communities, aligning with POU Čakovec’s mission of empowering learners and promoting a knowledge-based society.

POU Courses are designed for a diverse range of professionals seeking high-quality professional development opportunities. The target audience includes, but is not limited to:

  • Primary and secondary school teachers and staff
  • Vocational education and training (VET) school teachers and staff
  • Adult education teachers and staff
  • Higher education teachers and staff
  • Youth workers
  • NGO workers
  • And more!

The courses cater to individuals from various sectors and backgrounds, providing a unique opportunity to enhance their skills, gain new knowledge, and contribute to the intellectual and social growth of their respective communities.

Whenever possible, POU Courses strive to bring together participants from different countries and cultures, fostering an intercultural learning environment. This diverse setting facilitates networking, knowledge exchange, and the potential for future collaborations and mobility programmes among attendees.

POU Courses are primarily aimed at staff from organisations who hold an Erasmus accreditation, no matter in which field. If you are applying for a KA122 grant (organisations who do not have an Erasmus accreditation) and wish to take part, please reach out via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr.

You are invited to browse the course catalogue as it contains all relevant information about specific course offerings. Choose the course(s) you are interested in, and reach out via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr or through the contact form. The POU Courses team will guide you through the next steps, which typically include completing the course registration form with details about yourself and your organisation, providing you with the information about tuition fees and payment, and receiving confirmation of your enrolment status.

The aim of POU Courses is to bring together participants from diverse countries and backgrounds, fostering an intercultural learning environment. This provides excellent networking opportunities and facilitates potential future collaborations and mobility programmes among attendees. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions.

The entire POU Courses team is looking forward to welcoming you to one of their innovative professional development courses at POU Čakovec.

Get answers to your questions

Please find the most frequent questions and answers about POU Courses down below. If you do not find the information you are looking for, please reach out via email or the contact form.

POU Courses are an initiative by the Public Open University Čakovec (POU Čakovec), an Erasmus+ accredited and acclaimed provider of adult education in Croatia. Leveraging POU Čakovec’s rich expertise, extensive experience, and profound knowledge, POU Courses aim to provide high-quality professional development opportunities for staff from diverse organisations.

The courses are designed to create an engaging and impactful educational experience by seamlessly blending cutting-edge technology, hands-on activities, and best environmental practices. Learning activities in state-of-the-art lecture halls are complemented by study visits and practical exercises at local environmental sites, ensuring a dynamic, inclusive and immersive learning journey for all participants.

By participating in POU Courses, individuals from various sectors can enhance their skills, gain new knowledge, and contribute to the intellectual and social development of their respective communities, aligning with POU Čakovec’s mission of empowering learners and promoting a knowledge-based society.

POU Courses are designed for a diverse range of professionals seeking high-quality professional development opportunities. The target audience includes, but is not limited to:

  • Primary and secondary school teachers and staff
  • Vocational education and training (VET) school teachers and staff
  • Adult education teachers and staff
  • Higher education teachers and staff
  • Youth workers
  • NGO workers
  • And more!

The courses cater to individuals from various sectors and backgrounds, providing a unique opportunity to enhance their skills, gain new knowledge, and contribute to the intellectual and social growth of their respective communities.

Whenever possible, POU Courses strive to bring together participants from different countries and cultures, fostering an intercultural learning environment. This diverse setting facilitates networking, knowledge exchange, and the potential for future collaborations and mobility programmes among attendees.

POU Courses are primarily aimed at staff from organisations who hold an Erasmus accreditation, no matter in which field. If you are applying for a KA122 grant (organisations who do not have an Erasmus accreditation) and wish to take part, please reach out via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr.

You are invited to browse the course catalogue as it contains all relevant information about specific course offerings. Choose the course(s) you are interested in, and reach out via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr or through the contact form. The POU Courses team will guide you through the next steps, which typically include completing the course registration form with details about yourself and your organisation, providing you with the information about tuition fees and payment, and receiving confirmation of your enrolment status.

The aim of POU Courses is to bring together participants from diverse countries and backgrounds, fostering an intercultural learning environment. This provides excellent networking opportunities and facilitates potential future collaborations and mobility programmes among attendees. Do not hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions.

The entire POU Courses team is looking forward to welcoming you to one of their innovative professional development courses at POU Čakovec.

The courses are created by a team of experts from POU Čakovec by utilising their expertise, experience and creativity in designing immersive, inclusive and engaging learning activities. Your learning instructors are teachers themselves, all holding degrees in Pedagogy (Educational Sciences) and the English language, with many years of experience in implementing Erasmus+ projects, making sure your learning experience is of the utmost quality, but also individualised, practical, and incorporating a European dimension.

POU Courses are designed and implemented by the experienced team of lecturers at POU Čakovec. The course design process leverages POU Čakovec’s rich expertise, extensive experience in adult education, and profound knowledge gained through their involvement in numerous Erasmus+ projects and strategic partnerships. The POU Courses team carefully crafts immersive, inclusive, and engaging learning activities that seamlessly blend cutting-edge technology, hands-on exercises, and best environmental practices.

The core team of learning instructors who will facilitate the POU Courses comprises qualified professionals holding degrees in Pedagogy (Educational Sciences) and the English Language. They possess many years of experience in implementing Erasmus+ projects, ensuring that your learning experience is of the utmost quality, practical, and aligned with European standards.

With their deep understanding of adult education methodologies and their commitment to continuous professional development, the POU Čakovec team is dedicated to providing individualised and impactful learning experiences for all participants. Their collaborative approach, drawing from diverse perspectives and best practices, contributes to the creation of innovative and relevant course content.

POU Courses take place in the charming town of Čakovec, located in the green Međimurje County, known as the “flowerbed of Croatia” for its rich history and natural beauty. You can find information on how to reach Čakovec and our premises here.

State-of-the-art lecture halls at POU Čakovec’s facilities are coupled with study visits and hands-on activities at local environmental sites, creating an engaging and impactful educational experience. This holistic approach seamlessly blends theoretical knowledge with practical applications and real-world contexts, ensuring a dynamic and immersive learning journey.

As you browse the course catalogue, you will find a tentative schedule with learning locations listed for each specific course you are interested in. Before your arrival in Čakovec, you will receive a final agenda detailing all the locations where the course sessions will take place.

The unique setting of Čakovec and its surroundings provides an ideal environment for learning, allowing you to experience the region’s cultural heritage while benefiting from POU Čakovec’s state-of-the-art facilities and expertise. This combination of modern infrastructure and natural landscapes creates a truly enriching educational experience. A list of suggested places to explore in your free time can be found here.

POU Courses take place all year round. Some activities that take place outdoors or at locations other than POU Čakovec are seasonal. Reach out and we will discuss the date(s) that suit you the most.

Please consult the course catalogue for a tentative schedule with learning locations listed for each specific course you are interested in. Before your arrival in Čakovec, you will receive a final agenda detailing all the locations where the course sessions will take place.

The exact start of a specific course will be set taking into consideration the availability of all interested participants and will be communicated to all participants in a timely manner.

All POU Courses have a standard duration of 5 days, typically starting on Monday and concluding on Friday. Participants have the flexibility to arrive a day early or depart a day later, but the core learning activities are scheduled over a 5-day period. An average day’s structure comprises guided and interactive learning from 9 to 14, and having the rest of the day for self-learning and self-reflection. For customised courses with a different duration or start day, please reach out to the POU Courses team via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr.

In accordance with Erasmus+ grant rules, the cost for each participant is 80 euros per day. Therefore, for a standard 5-day course, the sending organisation will pay a total of 400 euros per participant. The course fee covers the basic course materials, refreshments, certificate of participation, and Europass Mobility documents on request.

Additionally, as per Erasmus+ regulations, the sending organisation will receive organisational support funds to cover the costs associated with sending participants to POU Courses. For certain courses, you may be asked to contribute a portion of this organisational support to cover expenses such as organised transportation to outdoor locations, additional learning materials, and other resources necessary for the successful realisation of the course. You will receive the information about the total cost of the course and information about the payment before the course you selected starts.

It is important to note that the cost of all POU Courses is calculated to be entirely covered by the Erasmus+ grant, ensuring accessibility and affordability for participating organisations. The Erasmus+ grant usually covers most of the travel and accommodation expenses, and in some cases, it covers them all. Please review the grant agreement between you and your respective National Agency about the exact rates of support related to the accommodation and travel costs. To find how to contact your National Agency, please click here.

If you do not have an Erasmus+ grant but wish to attend POU Courses and cover the costs personally, please reach out to the POU Courses team via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr, and we will provide you with further information and pricing details.

Yes, cultural activities are planned as part of the course program. The specific cultural visits and activities will be determined based on the group size and the time of year when the course is held. However, the cultural program aims to provide participants with an opportunity to explore the local heritage, sustainable initiatives, and eco-conscious organizations within Čakovec and Međimurje County.

These cultural experiences will be integrated organically into the course, aligning with the overall objectives of promoting a greener, eco-friendlier, and more sustainable lifestyle. The cultural visits and activities will add a green or inclusive dimension to your learning, allowing all participants to draw inspiration and practical examples for incorporating cultural elements and sustainable practices into their daily lives and professional endeavours.

All POU Courses are conducted exclusively in English to cater to the diverse international audience. However, our instructors are mindful of linguistic inclusivity and tailor their approach to ensure a comfortable learning environment for participants with varying levels of English proficiency.

While the courses are designed to be accessible, we recommend participants have at least a beginner (A1/A2) level of English to fully immerse themselves in the learning activities and maximise their educational experience.

Our experienced instructors are skilled in adapting their teaching methods, utilising visual aids, and providing additional support to accommodate learners with different linguistic backgrounds. This inclusive approach ensures that language barriers do not hinder the acquisition of knowledge and the development of new skills.

We understand that you may require additional documents to certify the competences learned or to prove your presence in the training course. During the enrolment process, you will sign a learning/mobility agreement with POU Čakovec, you will also receive an official agenda of the course you will take, as well as a certificate of participation at the end of the course.

Each day you will be asked to sign a participation list, and at the end of the course, you will be asked to fill in an evaluation form. The scanned participation lists and the evaluation results will be sent to your email after the course ends. We will also share with you all the photos our team takes during the course.

Upon request, we can provide additional certification and reporting documents such as Europass Mobility documents.

We understand that every organisation has unique training/learning needs and requirements. While we offer a diverse range of pre-designed courses, we are flexible and open to customising our offerings to meet your specific demands. This also applies to the objectives set in your Erasmus+ plan in your accreditation.

If you have particular learning objectives or topics that are not covered in our existing course catalogue, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate with you and develop a tailored course. Our team of experts will work closely with you to understand your organisation’s goals, challenges, and desired outcomes, and then design a targeted course that addresses those needs effectively.

Additionally, if you have a group of participants from your school, organisation, or centre who would benefit from a dedicated training session, we can organise a customised course specifically for your team. However, please note that we require a minimum number of participants to ensure an engaging and interactive learning environment.

To explore the possibility of a tailored training course or to discuss your specific requirements, please feel free to contact us via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr. Our team will be happy to provide you with more information, answer any questions you may have, and guide you through the process of creating a personalised training experience that aligns with your objectives.

Reach out to us!

The POU Courses team will be happy to answer any and all inquiries you may have. We are here to provide you support and help in order to make your learning journey as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.

Please reach out via email at courses@pou-cakovec.hr or use the contact form. We will reply to your message promptly.

Contact us

Send us an e-mail at courses@pou-cakovec.hr or use the contact form if you have additional questions.
We will be glad to answer all your queries!
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