An innovative educational program for students, which includes free transport, has been announced as part of the ‘An Island at the Crossroads’ exhibition currently underway at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu.
This program offers experiences until the end of this year, is open to students from Year 7 to Year 11, and is supported by the European Economic Area (EEA) and Norway Grants 2014 -2021. The program offers an interactive exploration of Malta’s strategic maritime history while promoting critical awareness of contemporary environmental challenges.
The educational program includes two thematic workshops: the Clean Oceans program, which focuses on the vital topic of ocean conservation through interactive experiments and demonstrations, and the History program which focuses on the iconic Battle of Lepanto and acquaints the students with Pietro Zelalich, a legendary Maltese corsair. It thus provides an immersive experience that combines history, environmental studies, and applied science.
The Clean Oceans initiative, which serves as the cornerstone of the programme, is the result of an ongoing partnership between Heritage Malta and Norway’s Stavanger Maritime Museum, funded by EEA and Norway Grants . The collaboration has led to cutting edge efforts to record and preserve Malta’s maritime heritage while addressing the increasing challenges caused by pollution and climate change.
Dr. Owen Bonnici, the Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government, expressed his support for this initiative. “This initiative not only enriches our students’ knowledge of Malta’s rich maritime history but also addresses one of the most pressing issues of our time – the pollution of the seas. I commend Heritage Malta for leading such innovative educational efforts,” said the Minister.
The Minister for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation Clifton Grima spoke about the importance that is being given in schools so that education is a complete one that also through activities and opportunities , as announced today, also goes beyond the curriculum. “Apart from the lessons of History and about the importance of protecting the environment, there are several other methods through which we are fostering the love and importance of our country’s heritage. Education is the process that facilitates learning, the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, apart from also helping in the formation of the person, and also giving a good basis for everything that a person encounters ‘ with her in everyday life,” said Minister Grima.
Minister Grima explained how in the education we give in our schools importance is also given to maintaining the environment – not only around us, but also that of the sea. This is done through the Eco-School program, spread throughout most of our schools and also through other learning. “But even in what we are announcing today, we are seeing an initiative that also addresses one of the most urgent issues of our time – ocean pollution. This is why I encourage the students together with their educators to participate so that they are more informed about these two subjects,” said Minister Clifton Grima.
Vanessa Ciantar, Assistant Manager for Education and Thematic Events within Heritage Malta, explained that, “This exhibition and the educational program highlight how the history of Malta and its maritime environment are linked to each other. By combining history with environmental science, we are providing students with a holistic understanding of our island’s past and future.”
The program, which will be launched in October, November and December of 2024, is fully integrated into the national educational curriculum, and aims to support the learning of subjects such as geography, history, and social studies. The program is made more accessible through free transport provided by Heritage Malta for all participating schools.
The program will host up to 50 students in each session, who will be divided into two groups to experience the two workshops. Educators can book the sessions through the Heritage Malta system dedicated to booking for schools: https://schoolbooking.heritagemalta.mt/malta-maritime-museum .
For more information you can visit the Heritage Malta website and its social media pages or contact the Malta Maritime Museum.
