Fostering Active Citizenship: An Adult Educator’s Praxis with Migrant Learners in Times of Crisis

This chapter examines the crucial role of an adult educator navigating the current polycrisis (multiple interconnected societal crises), while teaching migrant adult learners. Focusing on the narrative of one adult educator, who volunteered at ‘Odysseus’ solidarity school in Thessaloniki, Greece, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the chapter explores two key aspects: adult educator’s early life experiences and interactions at the school and how these have shaped her identity as an active citizen committed to promoting social justice; and how her experiences, ideology, and identity have influenced the design of the curriculum and her teaching practices, fostering critical consciousness and active citizenship among migrant learners. The chapter argues that amid the current crisis of democracy, exacerbated by neoliberal ideologies, the identities and pedagogical approaches of adult educators play a crucial role in shaping learners’ capacity for active citizenship and democratic engagement. Ultimately, it provides a model for educators working in similarly challenging times.