LAEA was founded on December 14, 1993 with support from Latvia's Ministry of Education and Science and Institute for International Cooperation of the German Adult Education Association. Since 1995 LAEA is a member organisation of the European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA), and since 1997  of the European Adult Education Research Association (ESREA) and the European Prison Education Association. The aim of LAEA is to promote development of non-formal adult education systems and to participate in lifelong learning policy making, thereby promoting the development of a civic, democratic and open society in Latvia.