Meeting Europe through digital cultural heritage

Introduction

To keep apace with the constantly evolving digital landscape, European cultural institutions are digitizing their resources thus making it possible for Europeans to meet and understand their continent and its rich history and culture in an interesting and innovative way.  This is extremely important in the context of Europe, where numerous nations have diverse traditions and histories and where children and students need to understand from an early age that although different they share a common cultural heritage and a common European identity.

Using Europeana from an early age

Teachers across Europe have been making an extensive use of Europeana resources for the last few years in order to help their students understand that Europe is a rich mosaic of various cultures, languages and traditions, each contributing to the rich European identity. Hundreds of interesting and innovative learning scenarios have been created and implemented across European curricula and across European classrooms. Teachers and students have tackled numerous topics through the usage of Europeana platform, ranging from important historical events to exploring of more complex concepts such as European identity or migration.

European identity

In order to have a more cohesive and inclusive European community and in order to equip our students with the knowledge and skills needed to engage in cross-cultural dialogue it is crucial to teach our students about the importance of fostering our European identity, which is a very complex and dynamic concept. One learning scenario that deals with this topic and that was implemented many times in European classrooms is ‘Europe and me’ learning scenario. In this scenario students explore their roots and connections, discuss what being European means and how one’s identity relates to it. Another interesting scenario that explores the concepts of national and European identities and the influence of globalization on both of them is ‘Globalization, national and European identity’.

Promoting tolerance and inclusivity among Europeans

Teaching children about their common European cultural heritage fosters tolerance and inclusivity. In a world facing various social challenges, instilling these values in the younger generation is crucial for building a more tolerant European society. Many learning scenarios that reduce prejudice and encourage open-mindedness have been created throughout the years. One such scenario is ‘Migration and cultural diversity’, which focuses on developing mutual understanding and recognizing the importance of cultural diversity in societies. An interesting scenario for younger students that helps them reflect on living in a multi-cultural society is ‘Where am I from? Human migration’.

Conclusion

The importance of children understanding their common European heritage and identity can’t be overstated. Teachers using Europeana and its rich digital cultural heritage resources to create innovative learning scenarios contributes to the development of a generation that is not only culturally literate but also committed to building a more inclusive and tolerant Europe.

CC0 1.0 DEED: the featured image used to illustrate this article has been found on Europeana and has been provided by the Statens Museum for Kunst.

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