e-GuideLearning through the Mentoring Process “Growing My Competences to Start a Green Business”(A practical e-Guide for senior learners 55+ on how to participate in the e-Studio “Green Business – a way for Senior citizens’ self-employment“) JULY, 2025 This project is co-funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the European Commission, its institutions and the Educational Exchange Support Foundation cannot be held responsible for the content of the material or any use which may be made of the information contained therein. ͞EŵpoweriŶg SeŶior citizeŶs’ self-eŵployŵeŶt iŶ GreeŶ BusiŶess͟ - GBS Project No: 2023-1-LT01-KA220-ADU-000160416
2 Introduction This e-Guide is created for you – an experienced adult aged 55+ who is curious about green business, sustainability, and self-employment. It will help you feel confident when using the online e-Studio “Green Business – a way for Senior citizens’ self-employment” and guide you step by step through learning, mentoring, and practical activities. You do not need prior business or digital experience. Your life experience, motivation, and willingness to learn are your strongest assets. By using this guide, you will learn how to: Explore whether green business is right for you Learn at your own pace using online materials Take part in mentoring and group activities Develop skills and confidence to start your own green initiative What you are expected to achieve – Learning Outcomes By the end of your learning journey in the e-Studio, you are expected to: Understand what green business and sustainable entrepreneurship mean in everyday life Recognise your own strengths, skills, and experience that can support a green business idea Use digital learning tools and Open Educational Resources with confidence Assess your readiness to start a green business or green initiative Develop a realistic and motivating green business idea Take part actively in mentoring and peer learning activities Feel more confident, motivated, and prepared to take next steps toward green self-employment These learning outcomes focus on practical confidence and personal growth, not on exams or grades. Your progress is measured by your engagement, reflection, and willingness to learn. How the learning process works Your learning journey combines online self-learning, group meetings, and mentoring support. You decide when and how fast you learn, while trainers and mentors support you along the way. How You Will Learn Blended Learning – learning that fits your life Blended learning means you learn in two ways: Online, using simple digital materials you can access from home Together with others, during group sessions or mentoring meetings This approach respects your time, responsibilities, and learning rhythm.
3 Flipped Classroom – learning before meeting Before group meetings, you explore short learning materials (videos, presentations, texts). During meetings, you: Ask questions Share opinions Practice together Learn from others’ experiencesStaying motivated You will stay motivated by: Discovering inspiring real-life stories Reflecting on your own strengths Receiving encouragement from mentors and peers From knowledge to action Learning is not only about reading or watching. You will: Reflect on what you already know Discover new skills Take small, realistic steps toward your green business idea Motivational Workshop: “Green Business – Is it my way to go?”The Motivational Workshop will introduce you to the world of green business and the issues it addresses. Here, you will discover: What green business really means How sustainability connects with everyday life Opportunities for people aged 55+ Your personal motivation and values First ideas for a green business or activity Learning with Open Educational Resources (OERs) You will use Open Educational Resources, which are free and easy-to-use learning materials. You can study them: On your own, at home Together with others during workshops They include videos, short texts, presentations, and simple activities.
4 Begin with the self-study materials from the Motivational WorkshopIt is recommended to start from the part „Possibilities and challenges for senior‘s green business“ and explore five important topics presented as involving interactive readings: 1. Overview of Environmental Challenges 2. How green entrepreneurship can help solving environmental issues? 3. The role of older people in preserving the environment through green business. 4. Common challenges faced by seniors’ green entrepreneurs.5. Discovering 4 attractive types of green business.
5 You will learn more about the green business relevance and possibilities, the climate change and Europe Green course, green business topic and statistics, overview of the possibilities and challenges in each of the 4 selected types of green businesses: sustainable agriculture, eco-tourism, upcycling and repurposing, organic catering. For a deeper understanding and analysis of each topic you will find a few questions for self-check and self-reflection at the end of each reading. The next step in your exploration journey is to familiarise yourself with our collection of success stories and good practices, which will introduce you to the amazing stories of green businesses already established by senior citizens. Each story highlights motivation, challenges, and practical solutions. Undoubtedly, they will inspire you to reflect on your own potential as a sustainable entrepreneur. Read and watch the stories, take notes, and discuss them with the group during the next live meeting with the facilitator and the other senior participants.
6 The final recommended activity in the motivational workshop is an interactive game called “My personal skills and strengths to start a green business – how to develop them“, which we also call the “Spider Game“. Wonder why? Just get involved and see what spider's web you can create from your answers, thoughts, and vision! You will also discover what you are already good at, see where you want to grow,build confidence in your abilities. After the self-studying the provided materials you will participate in the group activity online or face to face where you will be able to discuss the topics from the e-Studio, participate in other group activities and sign-up for the next step in the e-Studio which is the Learning Course: “Growing my competences to start a Green Business”Learning Course “Growing my competences to start a Green Business”Before you take your first practical steps on the learning platform, let us introduce you to the digitally supported mentoring process in the e-Studio. Learning through Mentoring What mentoring means in this learning journey Mentoring is a central part of your learning experience in the e-Studio. It is a supportive and respectful learning relationship between you and an experienced mentor who accompanies you throughout the course. Mentoring is not about teaching in a traditional classroom sense. Instead, it
7 is about guidance, dialogue, encouragement, and practical support tailored to your personal situation, experience, and goals. As a senior learner, you bring rich life experience, professional knowledge, and personal values. Mentoring helps you recognise these strengths and see how they can be transformed into meaningful and realistic green business ideas. The mentor’s role is to help you connect what you already know with new knowledge about sustainability, entrepreneurship, and digital tools. Why mentoring is especially important for senior learners Starting something new later in life can be exciting, but it can also raise doubts, fears, or uncertainty. Mentoring creates a safe and trusting space where you can openly discuss your questions, concerns, and ideas. Through mentoring, you will: Strengthen your self-confidence and belief in your abilities Clarify your motivation and personal values related to green business Better understand your strengths, skills, and areas for development Overcome fears related to technology, entrepreneurship, or change Feel supported, respected, and encouraged throughout the learning process Mentoring recognises that learning is not only about gaining knowledge, but also about emotional support, motivation, and personal growth. The role of the mentor Your mentor is an experienced professional in entrepreneurship and sustainability who also understands the learning needs of adults aged 55+. The mentor: Listens carefully to your ideas, experiences, and concerns Asks guiding questions to help you reflect and think critically Provides constructive feedback and practical suggestions Encourages peer learning and group discussion Helps you set realistic goals and small, achievable next steps The mentor does not make decisions for you or judge your ideas. Instead, they support you in finding your own answers and building confidence in your choices. How mentoring sessions are organised Mentoring takes place through a combination of group mentoring sessions and individual reflection. Sessions can be organised face-to-face or online, depending on the group and context. Each mentoring session is carefully connected to your self-learning activities in the e-Studio. During mentoring sessions, you will: Discuss what you have learned in the online courses (SOLCs) Share reflections on videos, quizzes, and self-study tasks Exchange experiences and ideas with other senior learners Explore green business ideas from the e-Repository Identify challenges and possible solutions together
8 Group sizes are small (usually 4–5 participants), which allows everyone to speak, be heard, and actively participate. Learning through dialogue and peer support Mentoring is not a one-way process. You learn not only from the mentor, but also from your peers. Other participants may have different backgrounds, skills, or experiences that can inspire new perspectives and ideas. Through discussion and collaboration, you will discover that many challenges are shared and that solutions often emerge together. This peer learning approach helps you: Feel less alone in your learning journey Learn from real-life experiences of others Develop communication and cooperation skills Build a sense of community and mutual support From ideas to action: mentoring as a practical tool A key goal of mentoring is to help you move from abstract ideas to concrete actions. With the mentor’s support, you will: Explore and refine your green business idea Assess its feasibility in relation to your personal situation Identify resources, skills, and tools you may need Create a simple draft action plan for next steps The focus is always on realistic, manageable progress. Even small steps are valuable and meaningful. Mentoring as a continuous learning process Mentoring is not limited to a single session. It is a continuous process that accompanies you throughout the learning course. Each mentoring session builds on previous experiences and prepares you for the next stage of learning. By the end of the course, mentoring will help you feel more confident, informed, and prepared to decide whether and how you want to continue your journey in green business or green initiatives. Mentoring is there to support you — at your pace, in your way, and in line with your personal goals. Using the online Learning Course „Growing my competences to start a Green Business“Accessing the course You can access the e-Studio here: https://greenbusiness.einc.lt/
9 The practical step-by-step guide for self-studying in the e-Studio can be found in the ANNEX 1 at the end of this document or in the video “Learning Course “Growing my competences to start a Green Business”on the e-Studio. The structure of the Learning Course and the learning process The Learning Course “Growing your competences to start a Green Business”Pre-assessment tool to assess the knowledge and skills you haveSOLCs (Short Online Learning Courses) are short learning units you can complete one by one. 4 short, well-structured Short Online Learning Courses (SOLCs) are developed to help you to gain knowledge on the following skills and competences: - Knowing Green Businesses suitable for Senior citizens: types and their peculiarities; - Senior citizens’ entrepreneurial capacities to start Green Business;- Understanding effective entry strategies for Green Business for senior citizens; - Using digital tools for managing of Green Business For each competence 5 important soft skills are selected and they are presented in the respective SOLC.Short description of the competence and developing skills is provided at the beginning of each SOLC.Self-study online on the e-Studio platform where you can watch interactive videos on the topic and complete quizzes at the end of each video to better understand the video material you have watched. You can study at your own pace and at a time that suits you, revisit videos or just the most interesting parts; The e-Repository of Green Business Ideas for Senior Citizens for developing action plan for future steps is your digital library with 50 green business ideas for you to choose, discuss and evaluate possibility to implement the chosen (and) customised idea. The post Assessment tool to evaluate the obtained knowledge and skills with Digital Badge “I am ready to start my Green Business”Your main learning steps 1. Complete the pre-assessment test 2. Study SOLCs at your own pace 3. Use the e-Repository to check selected business ideas 4. Participate in the mentor lead group sessions face-to-face or online. 5. Complete the post-assessment and receive the Digital Badge “I am ready to start my Green Business“The learning process begins with the first group meeting with the mentor and taking the pre-assessment test. The facilitated group consists of 4–5 senior learners and is led by a mentor who is an expert in developing entrepreneurship and sustainability competencies. Below is the lesson plan for your blended and flipped classroom learning process in the course “Growing my Competences to Start a Green Business“.
10The lessons’ plan for the blended learning process in the course “Growing my Competences to Start a Green Business”:Training steps Type of the learning session Duration, a. h Content/Topics 1 1st Mentoring session. Introduction Face-to-face /Online 4 ⮚ Getting to know each other. Ice-breaker exercise ⮚ Introduction of the learning process within the GBS Learning Course ⮚ Learners’ expectations ⮚ Initial assessment of competences and skills of adult learners willing to start a green business using pre-assessment tool from the online learning course ⮚ Short Introduction of the first and second self-learning sessions: “Knowing Green Businesses suitable for Senior citizens: types and their peculiarities” and “Senior citizens’ entrepreneurial capacities to start Green Business”⮚ Giving the task for first and second online self-learning session 2 First online selflearning session “Knowing Green Businesses suitable for Senior citizens: types and their peculiarities“ 4 ⮚ Self-learning using Short Online Learning Course (SOLC) “Knowing Green Businesses suitable for Senior citizens: types and their peculiarities” and watching 5 interactive videos⮚ Fulfilling the self-testing quizzes at the end of each video⮚ Self-reflection on each of the video about presented green businesses for senior citizens (self-reflection hints provided by the mentor during 1st Mentoring session, main ideas to be presented by learners during the 2nd Mentoring session) 3 Second online selflearning session “Senior citizens’ entrepreneurial capacities to start Green Business“4 ⮚ Self-learning using SOLC “Senior citizens’ entrepreneurial capacities to start Green Business” and watching 5 interactive videos ⮚ Fulfilling the self-testing quizzes at the end of each video⮚ Self-reflection on each of the video about presented green businesses for senior citizens (self-reflection hints provided by the mentor during 1st Mentoring session, main ideas to be presented by learners during the 2nd Mentoring session) 4 2nd Mentoring session Face-to-face / Online 4 ⮚ Deepen knowledge obtained during the 1st and 2nd self-learning sessions: ● Feedback on the SOLCs and videos ● Discussing the suggested green businesses: possibilities, challenges, capacities to start green business ● Reflections on the 1st and 2nd self-learning sessions (the method and content) ● Reflections on the possible personal engagement in presented business areas ⮚ Overview of business ideas from e-Repository selected by mentor and learners ⮚ Introduction to the third and fourth online self-learning sessions: ● “Understanding effective entry strategies for Green Business for senior citizens”● “Using digital tools for managing of Green Business”5 Third online selflearning session “Understanding effective entry strategies for Green 4 ⮚ Self-learning using SOLC “Understanding effective entry strategies for Green Business for senior citizens” and watching 5 interactive videos ⮚ Fulfilling the self-testing quizzes at the end of each video
11Training steps Type of the learning session Duration, a. h Content/Topics Business for senior citizens”⮚ Self-reflection on each of the video about presented green businesses for senior citizens (self-reflection hints provided by the mentor during 2nd Mentoring session, main ideas to be presented by learners during the 3rd Mentoring session) 6 Fourth online selflearning session “Using digital tools for managing of Green Business”4 ⮚ Self-learning using SOLC “Using digital tools for managing of Green Business” and watching 5 interactive videos⮚ Fulfilling the self-testing quizzes at the end of each video⮚ Self-reflection on each of the video about presented green businesses for senior citizens (self-reflection hints provided by the mentor during 2nd Mentoring session, main ideas to be presented by learners during the 3rd Mentoring session) 7 3rd Mentoring session. Finalisation Face-to-face / Online 4 ⮚ Deepen knowledge obtained during the 3rd and 4th self-learning sessions: ● Feedback on the SOLCs and videos ● Discussing effective entry strategies and digital tools for green business ● Reflections on the 3rd and 4th self-learning sessions ⮚ Overview of business ideas from e-Repository selected by mentor and learners ● Selecting business ideas and preparing draft action plans by participants ● Discussing the next steps for action ⮚ Post-assessment of the obtained knowledge using postassessment test from the online learning course. The Digital badge “I am ready to start my Green Business”⮚ Final reflections in the GBS e-Studio TOTAL 28After completing the blended learning course in the e-Studio and the post-assessment test, you receive a Digital Badge: “I am ready to start my Green Business” – a recognition of your learning effort. You can find detailed instructions of how to retrieve and share the Digital Badge in the ANNEX 2 at the end of this document or in the video “HOW TO Proceed with the Digital Badge “I am ready to start my GREEN BUSINESS” on the e-Studio. This e-Guide and the online e-Studio are here to support you on your personal journey into green entrepreneurship. By learning in a step-by-step manner using open resources and working alongside a friendly group of like-minded individuals and mentors, you can transform your experience and ideas into meaningful and sustainable action. We wish you a successful and meaningful journey in the area of Green Business! Resources Online e-Studio: https://greenbusiness.einc.lt/ Learning materials and e-Repository within the platform
Learning Course ċGrowing BuWelcome to Project ċEmpowering Senior citizens’ self-employment in Green BusinessČ - GBSProject No: 2023-1-LT01-KA220-ADU-000160416This project is co-funded with support from the EuropeanCommission. This publication reflects the views only of theauthor, and the European Commission, its institutions andthe Educational Exchange Support Foundation cannot beheld responsible for the content of the material or any usewhich may be made of the information contained thereinANNEX 1
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