Integration of the EU Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci education models into the service delivery of the district governors

The European Union (EU) is taking significant steps to strengthen lifelong learning policies and make education systems more flexible, inclusive, and employment-oriented. The Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci programs developed for this purpose aim to support individual learning needs, increase institutional capacity, facilitate the transfer of good practices, and encourage innovative educational solutions. These programs enable senior managers working in local government and public administration to make more active and structural contributions to education planning and implementation processes. The main objective of this study is to examine the extent to which and how the European Union's Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci education models have been integrated into the local education system by local government officials in Turkey within the framework of governance. This study examines the integration process of the Grundtvig and Leonardo da Vinci programs, developed within the scope of the European Union's lifelong learning strategies, into the local education system in Turkey using a qualitative research approach. Official documents published by the European Commission, the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey, and the Ministry of Interior were evaluated as primary data sources. To this end, national and international policy documents, legal regulations, strategy reports, and implementation guidelines, as included in the field literature, were analyzed using document review methods. The research findings reveal that the Grundtvig program has made meaningful contributions in areas such as the dissemination of adult education at the local level, the strengthening of social cohesion, and the promotion of active citizenship awareness. The Leonardo da Vinci program, on the other hand, stands out as a strategic tool for improving the quality of technical and vocational education, establishing a functional bridge between education and employment, and responding to the needs of the labor market. Based on the documents examined, it was concluded that local administrative officials are not limited to an administrative oversight role in implementing these EU programs; they have also become key actors facilitating institutional coordination at the local level, managing project processes, and taking an active role in the localization of education policies. It can be said that increasing cooperation between local governments and educational institutions in the development and implementation of local education policies in Turkey will accelerate efforts to integrate with the European Union in the field of education. Keywords: European Union, Grundtvig, Leonardo da Vinci, Education