Course Description

Heritage education is an instructional approach that aims to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of our communities. It is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses history, culture, social studies, and other subjects. Heritage education provides opportunities for students to learn about the past and present of their communities and to develop a sense of belonging and pride.

Heritage education is an inclusive approach that values the diverse cultural backgrounds of students and aims to provide a more accurate representation of history by including the perspectives of different groups. It also encourages students to engage with primary sources, such as artifacts, documents, and oral history, to better understand the past. Heritage education also promotes intercultural understanding and empathy, as it encourages students to learn about different cultures and perspectives. Through heritage education, students learn to appreciate the cultural heritage of their communities and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.

The fundamental purpose of heritage education is to make available opportunities to participate in new experiences in order to acquire new knowledge and abilities. Learners develop information, intellectual skills, and a wider variety of competences on issues such as the preservation of cultural heritage or the well-being of society when they gain this knowledge through direct experience with cultural heritage or by analysis of cultural heritage.

It is important that heritage be included in the official school curriculum or offered as an extracurricular activity, and that it teach students vital skills based on an approach that is multidisciplinary and crosses sectors. Education about our cultural heritage contributes to the cultivation of a greater awareness and respect of our living environment, of ourselves, and of one another. This training course is designed to provide educators with an in-depth understanding of heritage education, and the skills necessary to design and implement effective heritage education programs in the classroom.

Learning Outcomes

Successful graduates of the course will have the knowledge and skills to do the following:

• To understand the importance of heritage education in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of our communities
• To learn how to design and implement heritage education programs in the classroom
• To understand how to use primary sources, incorporate local history and engage with community resources
• To learn how to foster a sense of belonging and pride in students
• To develop the skills necessary to create inclusive and engaging heritage education programs
• To understand the role of heritage education in promoting intercultural understanding and empathy
• To explore different methods to teaching a cultural heritage or diversity lesson
• To explain the concept of the experiential learning cycle and how it is used in teaching.
• To have teachers reflect on their own practice of teaching heritage and diversity themes
• To develop outlines of a curriculum for teaching cultural heritage and cultural diversity in their classrooms

Course Details

 
TARGET GROUP

Professionals in the education sector (e.g., teachers, guidance counselors, principals, and administrators at elementary, middle, higher education, vocational institutions, kindergartens and pre-primary schools) and non-governmental organization (NGO) staff.

METHODOLOGY

Participants will be introduced to the basics of heritage education, including its definition, history, and potential for education. This will include an overview of the key concepts and principles of heritage education and its role in preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of our communities.

Participants will engage in a variety of hands-on activities that will give them a chance to experience heritage education for themselves. These will include primary source analysis, local history research, and community engagement exercises.

Participants will engage in interactive discussions to explore the potential of heritage education for education. This will include brainstorming sessions to generate ideas for using heritage education in the classroom and sharing and discussing examples of heritage education in practice.

Participants will learn how to create and use lesson plans incorporating heritage education. They will learn how to integrate heritage education into different subjects and grade levels, and how to evaluate the effectiveness of heritage education in the classroom.

Participants will learn about best practices for implementing heritage education in the classroom, including how to use primary sources, how to incorporate local history, how to engage with community resources, and how to foster a sense of belonging and pride in students.

Participants will learn how to implement heritage education in their own classroom and will have the opportunity to plan and deliver a lesson using heritage education principles.

Course Objectives

• Enable participants to understand the concept of cultural heritage.
• Grasp the importance and value of cultural heritage.
• Identify different types of cultural heritage, such as historical buildings, archaeological sites, artworks, traditions, and rituals.
• Learn principles of cultural heritage preservation, restoration, and sustainable management.
• Understand the impact of cultural heritage on societies and evaluate its value in contributing to community development.
• Examine the influence of cultural heritage on local identity and cultural diversity.
• Assess the value of cultural heritage in tourism and the economy, and learn about sustainable tourism approaches.
• Acquire knowledge about using digital tools and technology for the preservation and accessibility of cultural heritage.
• Develop communication strategies to raise awareness of cultural heritage within communities.
• Enhance collaboration and stakeholder management skills for the preservation and sustainable management of cultural heritage.
• Promote the utilization of cultural heritage in areas such as sustainable tourism, education, or social development.

Tentative Schedule

Day 1 – WELCOME DAY

• Welcome Activities/Ice-Breaker Activities
• What is Culture and Cultural Heritage?
• What are the elements of Cultural Heritage?
• Cultural Diversity
• Perspectives of Cultural Heritage

Day 2 – ANALYSING CULTURAL HERITAGE & DIVERSITY

• Cultural history
• Heritage through museum
• Heritage through activism
• Heritage through professional development
• Cultural Heritage through Art

Day 3 – EDUCATIONAL APPROACHES TO CULTURAL HERITAGE

• Heritage and identity
• Heritage and Language
• Heritage and environment
• Making learning more intuitive and creative
• Non-formal education for cultural heritage education

Day 4 – HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

•  Engaging activities, games and exercises
•  A practical workshop

Day 5 – HOW CAN WE MAINTAIN CULTURAL HERITAGE?

• Participating in Traditions
• Record your Culture
• Some important Cultural Heritage sites
• Forms of Cultural Heritage
• Tangible, Intangible, Natural, Digital forms of Heritage
• Cultural Awareness

Day 6 – IMPLEMENTATION

• Using the right online tools to teach Cultural Heritage
• Engaging in local history research exercises
• Understanding the importance of local history in heritage education

 Day 7 – EVALUATION DAY

• Round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion
• Certificate of Attendance
• Excursion and cultural activities

*The schedule describes likely activities but may differ significantly based on the requests of the participants, and the trainer delivering the specific session. Course modifications are subject to the trainer’s discretion. If you would like to discuss a specific topic, please indicate it at least 4 weeks in advance. Our courses usually include two cultural activities. Further information is available on the webpage of each course