Preventing Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Heritage: Educational Resources

"<< Background >>Pitcher stems directly from the Netcher project, which highlighted the importance of involving educational communities to better raise awareness among young people about combating archaeological looting and the illicit trafficking of cultural property, while providing them with reliable and easily accessible information.This information was identified as the primary need by education professionals during the survey conducted at the start of the project. The initiative also addressed their other expectations and partially filled gaps identified during the state-of-the-art review by offering concrete tools and recommendations for better integrating the issues of archaeological looting and illicit trafficking into educational systems.Above all, beyond viewing young people as the future generation that must preserve heritage better than we do, the realization that this generation is both a victim and a perpetrator of looting and trafficking lent this project a strong sense of urgency and public interest.<< Objectives >>The Pitcher project aimed to propose a new learning model based on enhancing teachers' knowledge and skills, enabling them to engage students in combating archaeological looting and the illicit trafficking of cultural goods. This vision relied on four intermediate objectives:- Proposing models to develop students' knowledge and critical thinking so they can play a positive role, as young citizens, in combating these issues.- Creating innovative tools based on STEAM as an entry point to guide students in their activities and foster the development of their creative minds.- Leveraging the educational potential of European cultural institutions to highlight the intercultural dimension of the problem.- Collaborating with digital artists to develop attractive educational resources and stimulate students' creativity.This effort aimed to result in the production of Open Educational Resources (OER) providing novel ways to engage students in the fight against archaeological site looting and the illicit trafficking of cultural goods.<< Implementation >>The following activities were carried out across three phases:Phase 1- Collection and analysis of the training and informational needs of education professionals.- Conducting a state-of-the-art review to identify how archaeological looting and the illicit trafficking of cultural property are addressed in the education field (initial and continuing training, school curricula, educational initiatives, teaching materials, etc.) to leverage existing practices or address gaps.- Defining specific training objectives tailored to each geographic area.Phase 2- Development of Open Educational Resources (OER) and their translation (at least into French and English).- Testing the OER with students and young people outside school hours.- Revising the OER based on feedback from tests, as well as peer and expert reviews in both the subject matter and education fields.Phase 3- Designing the ""Teacher and Cultural Mediator Guide"" to optimize the use of OER.- Formulating recommendations for policymakers in the education and culture sectors.- Organizing dissemination events to present the project's results<< Results >>The tangible outcomes of the project are as follows:- 17 Open Educational Resources (OER) addressing various aspects of the topic, designed for students aged 7–11, 11–14, and 14–18. These resources are suitable for both in-school and out-of-school use and are available in French, English, and Italian, with some also translated into Spanish, Greek, and Catalan.- The ""Teacher and Cultural Mediator Guide"", which provides guidance on effectively using the OER and links to an online platform offering a wide range of additional content.- Policy recommendations to better integrate these topics into educational systems, enhance awareness among young people outside of school, and improve regulatory frameworks.Other, less tangible but equally significant results include:- Increased awareness among teachers through multiplier events and local training initiatives.- The creation of stakeholder groups around partner organizations, which facilitated the development of scenarios advancing the concept of ""open schooling."" This approach fosters creative and critical youth engagement in combating the illicit trafficking of cultural property."