The Culture Ants Project is an educational model developed in 2002 with the aim of introducing children to the cultural values in their environment and cities in a way that appeals to their emotional intelligence, fostering a sense of appreciation and ownership, and cultivating a consciousness and feeling of protection toward cultural heritage.
The project was designed with the understanding that awareness and sensitivity toward the preservation of cultural heritage should be instilled at an early age. In this context, it was developed and brought to life by a team of educators, pedagogues, art historians, psychologists, and tourism professionals.
Implemented continuously since the establishment of the Foundation and constantly evolving in content, the project involves disadvantaged students from public schools who are divided into small groups. With the guidance of trained facilitators, they engage in a model of "student-centered, on-site, and experiential" learning that includes classroom activities, field trips, and hands-on art workshops.
The educational process runs throughout one or two academic years, depending on the location of the participating schools. The primary target group is 6th and 7th-grade students, followed in the second phase by their parents and teachers. Cultural values are introduced to the children by professional guides and academics in situ—that is, directly within their original setting. The knowledge shared in the field is then reinforced through creative and artistic activities such as music, painting, collage, clay work, and drama.
Within the framework of an integrated theme-route-artistic reinforcement model, the project measures and reports the anticipated transformation in students' awareness and sensitivity toward cultural heritage.
Brought to life through the dedicated efforts of guides and trained Culture Volunteers who lead the classroom, field, and artistic activities, the project aims to help children and youth:
- become aware of themselves and their surroundings,
- understand the power and importance of education, science, and knowledge,
- recognize, embrace, and protect cultural values,
- share what they learn with their families and communities,
- and transform the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they gain into lasting behavioral changes.
In 2010, the Culture Ants Project was awarded in the "Cultural Heritage Education" category by Europa Nostra, a sub-organization of the European Union working to raise public awareness about cultural heritage.
For more detailed information, to join the Culture Volunteers, or to support the project through donations, please visit: www.kulturkarincalari.org