Why is culture so important as a concept? And why do people think that cultural heritage preservation is worth all our time and effort?
Well, to answer that, picture your country, or your city, even your neighborhood, but it must be 2 pictures side by side, with the exact same scene; same view, same people, same buildings.
In one of them, imagine music coming from a group of people nearby, others visiting the museum across the street, two friends talking about history; on some of the buildings in the background there are some amazing graffities too!
Now look at the other one. Same people. No music, history, philosophical blabbering, or street art though. Most eyes would see gray people, bored and sad, without a way to express themselves, reflect on the past and its lessons, and effectively, evolve.
Such is the power of Civilization and culture.
Not only it transforms everything towards a magical state of inclusion and variety, but it also teaches lessons to the next generations. That is exactly the concept of i-School. Museums, archeological sites, national parks, hundreds and thousands of years of history and Cultural Heritage, in the service of education.
What To Expect
Perfect is never enough, so i-School goes many steps further, introducing innovative digital tools such as online courses and educational video games on the subject of Cultural History. The best part is that they are being developed as you read these lines. Graphics and game stories are being developed, while educators are coming together to produce a training course for teachers. It will not take long before you see the first results of the following:
- Online Course for Primary and Secondary School Teachers, focusing on teachers’ skills and competencies on how to integrate heritage and culture in everyday school practices, as well as on collaboration opportunities with cultural and creative institutions.
- A Cultural Heritage Toolkit consisting of educational sessions regarding cultural heritage, applicable either in class, or at cultural sites.
- An E-Learning Platform, which will host all the educational materials produced.
- Digital Game “Cultural Warriors”: A web-based interactive game as a way to engage teachers and students on the subject.
The Target Groups
Considering that education is a forerunner of the future world, a project that combines education with Cultural Heritage is a matter of our societies as a whole. The target-groups that will be actively involved in the activities and stages of the project, are the following:
- Primary and secondary school teachers
- Primary and secondary school students (10-15 years old)
- Primary and Secondary Schools (private and public)
- Creative and cultural institutions (e.g., museums, galleries, archaeological sites, monuments, national parks, etc.)
- Ministry officials (Ministries of Education, Pedagogical Institutes, etc.)
- Trainers and other professional educators
- Youth NGOs and youth workers working in the field of culture and cultural education
- Any other kind of institutions/actors in the field of cultural heritage
The Partners
The amazing people behind the project and its activities, come from 6 different organizations from across Europe:
- EuroSuccess – Cyprus
- BOCCF – Cyprus
- p-consulting.gr – Greece
- Antalya Provincial Directorate for National Education – Turkey
- Patrizio Paoletti Foundation – Italy
- Olympion – Cyprus
Learn more on the project’s website!
