Local stories, curriculum-rich school trips

Culture and heritage organisations and sites are well-placed to support local curriculum with their rich, stimulating environments.

Not only do these spaces support curiosity and wonder through the taonga and knowledge they care for, but they also hold local stories connecting with the community in which they are located. Ākonga have the opportunity to visit and experience these local sites and taonga, gaining reallife experiences that can have more power than just reading about the objects or place. Particularly, now that Aotearoa New Zealand histories are entering the curriculum in 2023, cultural and heritage spaces are ideal for supporting kaiako and ākonga knowledge and integrating content across the curriculum. As the new curriculum content is introduced, many of us might need to strengthen our understanding of Aotearoa New Zealand histories to be able to teach eff ectively and weave it through the regular classroom curriculum.

Museums, galleries, heritage sites, science centres and others are just some places that can help identify and make sense of local history through their collections and artefacts. Many of these places have a range of education programmes and educators available to work with kaiako to design a bespoke programme for the needs of each class. These programmes weave through subject learning areas and help foster critical thinking through perspectives, empathy, and exploration. Each culture and heritage space will have something diff erent to off er. Some might have site-based visits; others might have programmes that can travel to your school either physically or virtually, and some might have online resources. Whatever the programme; educators from these spaces will share knowledge, the stories and taonga that exist, and work with ākonga to strengthen understandings, explore relationships and interpret experiences in their local community. For example, Ohaeawai School, a rural school located in Northland, took part in the Te Papa lead Raranga Matihiko programme, delivered from the Waitangi Treaty Grounds. Ākonga learned how the same event can be remembered diff erently by diff erent people while they also developed their digital technology skills. At the Museum, students engaged with taonga and history while using digital technologies to retell the story of a batt le that has local signifi cance. The bespoke programme was co-designed by kaiako and the museum educators and enabled students to work across the curriculum.

Access to specialised knowledge of local histories, taonga and stories broadens learners’ experiences of their learning environment beyond school into the community and shapes the identity they carry forth. On behalf of Te Pū Tiaki Mana, I invite you to visit these sites to learn more and refl ect on the stories that these places hold while fi nding out how they can work with your school.

Tara Fagan, Chair, Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga, Association of Educators Beyond the Classroom

I am me

I am worthwhile

A time to refocus

Help your students get back on track by a change of environment, EOTC and even team building to grow their support structures. Funding available

Please ask us about funding for active recreation, well-being and leadership.

Kokako Lodge (Ak)

Kokako Lodge is only 30 minutes from South Auckland. We are surrounded by 17,000 hectares of tranquility, challenge (high ropes) and adventure.

Spoken Word, Refl ection Journals, team building games and personal challenge (by choice).

Images courtesy of Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga, Association of Educators Beyond the Classroom

Te Pū Tiaki Mana Taonga | Association of Educators Beyond the Classroom is the professional Association of educators working in the cultural and heritage space in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Association aims to connect education professionals in museums, galleries, environmental and other groups in the community learning space and provide support, advice, professional learning, and dialogue across the sector. We are communitybased with a focus on local stories, history, and placedbased education to support the teaching of the unique history and cultural context of Aotearoa