Sustainability and Global Citizenship

Cultural Heritage in Education

Every city is a classroom. Every monument is a lesson.

Participation in Democratic LifeInclusion and DiversityErasmus+ KA1 Eligible

About This Course

Cultural heritage is one of Europe's greatest educational resources and one of its most underused. Every city has a story. Every monument, museum, piece of music or artwork is a window into the values, conflicts, achievements and failures of the people who came before us.

This course takes place in some of the most culturally rich cities in our network. It is both a professional development experience and a cultural immersion, designed so that participants experience what it means to learn in and from a place rather than simply about it.

Participants explore approaches to heritage education that go beyond passive museum visits to genuine inquiry-based engagement with cultural heritage sites, objects and stories, connecting to the EU's cultural heritage agenda and the Erasmus+ priorities of Participation in Democratic Life and Inclusion and Diversity.

Who Should Attend

  • History, geography, arts and humanities teachers
  • Citizenship and social studies teachers
  • Teachers involved in Erasmus+ cultural mobility projects
  • School leaders developing European dimension strategies
  • Primary teachers who want to use local heritage as a learning resource

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course participants will be able to:

  • Explain the educational value of cultural heritage and connect it to EU frameworks and Erasmus+ priorities.

    Cultural heritage education is recognised across EU policy as a tool for developing European identity, democratic values and intercultural dialogue. You will make the policy case for heritage education and connect it to Erasmus+ priorities.

  • Design inquiry-based cultural heritage learning experiences that put students in the role of investigators.

    A heritage visit that consists of a guided tour followed by a worksheet is a missed opportunity. You will design heritage experiences where students are investigators and meaning-makers rather than passive recipients of someone else's narrative.

  • Use digital cultural heritage resources including Europeana effectively in classroom teaching.

    Europeana, the world's largest digital cultural heritage platform, gives teachers access to millions of heritage objects, images and manuscripts. You will know how to use these resources to bring heritage into classrooms without requiring travel.

  • Design activities that engage students with contested heritage, difficult history and multiple interpretations.

    The most important heritage education is often the most uncomfortable. Sites built by enslaved people, objects of colonial acquisition, contested monuments: teaching with these resources requires both courage and specific pedagogical skill.

A 7-Day Professional Development Experience

Five days of intensive training combined with a structured arrival day and a cultural excursion. We are always open to tailoring the programme to your institution's needs.

Day 1
Sunday - Arrival and Welcome

Participants arrive and are welcomed by the Sude Nexus local team. Welcome dinner and orientation walk.

Day 2
Monday - Heritage as Learning Resource
MorningWhat is cultural heritage and what can we learn from it? EU and Council of Europe cultural heritage frameworks.
AfternoonHands-on heritage experience in the host city: a guided heritage learning session at a key site, then reflection as educators.
Day 3
Tuesday - Inquiry-Based Heritage Education
MorningFrom passive visit to active inquiry: designing heritage experiences where students investigate rather than receive.
AfternoonUsing objects, images and primary sources. Practical museum and archive education techniques.
Day 4
Wednesday - Digital Heritage and Difficult History
MorningDigital heritage resources: Europeana workshop. Using digital collections in classroom teaching.
AfternoonTeaching difficult and contested heritage: approaches for multiple interpretations and painful history.
Day 5
Thursday - Designing Your Heritage Education Unit
MorningParticipants design a heritage education unit using a local heritage resource. Peer review.
AfternoonAction planning and farewell dinner.
Day 6
Friday - Action Planning and Sharing
MorningPersonal and institutional action planning. Structured peer review.
AfternoonPresentations, certificates and farewell dinner.
Day 7
Saturday - Cultural Excursion and Departure

Guided cultural excursion. Participants travelling home are free to depart after breakfast.

This outline is a starting point, not a fixed schedule. Contact us to discuss how we can tailor this programme for your institution.

EU Policy Alignment

Erasmus+ 2026 Horizontal Priorities

EU Competence Frameworks

EU Policy Initiatives

New European Agenda for Culture 2018European Education Area 2021 to 2030Council of Europe Heritage Education ProgrammeEuropeana - European Digital Heritage Platform
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Available Locations and Dates

Check the dates page for current availability across all 13 destinations.

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