Heritage in Schools has had a bumper year with an estimated 3,000 visits delivered in 2024 and our funding is now fully allocated. We will be open for bookings for 2025 from 1 January and we look forward to visiting your school in the new year!
Celebrate Samhain and the end of the harvest season with a free Heritage in Schools visit for your school. We have 100 free visits to give away which will be allocated on a first come basis and one visit per school. Visits must take place between 4th and 8th November.
To celebrate National Hedgerow Week 2024, 2-8 September, the Heritage Council is offering 100 free Heritage in Schools visits to primary schools. Visit content must relate to Irish hedgerows and must take place between Monday, 2nd September and Friday, 6th September.
Our Heritage in Schools Specialists enjoy an annual networking day each year, usually at the end of June when schools break for the summer. This year we decided to hold smaller regional events instead of one main event in the midlands, so our team took to the road for a week and met as many specialists as possible. We had a fabulous week of meetings in Tramore Coastguard Cultural Centre, The Burren College of Art and Glenveagh National Park.
Over 500 children from local Kilkenny primary schools descended on Áras na hOidhreachta on 14th June for our second Heritage in Schools Archaeology Day.
On 2nd May Carlow College, St Patrick’s, will be blitzed by a group of Heritage Specialists from the Heritage Council’s Heritage in Schools programme. Carlow primary schools are invited to join us for a day of fun and interactive heritage workshops which will cover topics such as archaeology, biodiversity, heritage crafts and storytelling. This is a FREE day and lunches will be provided.
Over a two-day period, on 25 & 26 April, Tullamore primary schools will be blitzed by Heritage Specialists from the Heritage Council’s Heritage in Schools programme. The visiting Specialists will deliver all sorts of interesting facts on Offaly’s rich built, natural and cultural heritage. Visits can be to the classroom, the school yard or further afield and will be FREE OF CHARGE.
The Heritage Council is seeking applications from Heritage Specialists who want to join our Heritage in Schools team. The current panel expires at the end of 2023 and the new panel will commence from January 2024 for a four year term.
To celebrate National Biodiversity Week 2023 the Heritage Council is offering 100 free Heritage in Schools visits to primary schools. Visit content must relate to biodiversity and must take place between 19 and 28 May 2023.
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council and the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage launched the Hedgerow Toolkit for Schools. This booklet has been developed to assist teachers in explaining the value of our hedgerows and to engage children on the subject of hedgerows, biodiversity and climate change through interesting activities.
The advantages of Forest School are evident now more than ever when the benefits of the outdoor classroom and nature are at an all-time high. As Forest School meets the aims and objectives of the Heritage in Schools programme the Heritage Council will continue to support programmes in 2023. The programme will be offered by certified Forest School Leaders through the Heritage in Schools Scheme. In 2023 the Heritage Council will fund two Forest School initiatives through Heritage in Schools:
A great afternoon this week in Enniscorthy Library at the screening and launch of "Travelling Voices" - a 20 minute video filmed in July and August, 2022 highlighting the rich culture and heritage of the travelling community in Co. Wexford. The film, which was filmed and produced by Heritage in Schools Specialist Rachel Uí Fhaoláin (Ceol Mo Chroí) and Digital Storyteller/Filmmaker John Ó Faoláin (Traditional Archive Channel), explores the rich culture of the Travelling Community in Wexford. The film was funded by The Heritage Council through our Heritage in Schools programme. Watch it here https://youtu.be/MNn8SThnDF0
