CULTURAL HERITAGE EDUCATION PROGRAMME
The Cultural Heritage Education Programme (CHEP) was launched on 19 November 2016 by George Town World Heritage Incorporated, in collaboration with non-profit organisation Persatuan Pendidikan Pulau Pinang (Arts-ED) to promote local cultural heritage to young people through creative educational programmes. CHEP aims to engage young individuals, the local community, educators, and government agencies on the importance of cultural sustainability in the face of 21st century challenges.
The programme is a set of educational experiences that promotes sustainable cultural heritage education and encouraging young people aged 10 to 17 to connect with their culture and the environment. Engaging and well-curated, the activities enable the younger generation to appreciate, understand and interpret the George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site through different levels of participation.
Among the experiences which the students can participate in are Traditional Games (Wa Wa Warisan), Thematic Heritage Exploration Trails, Traditional Craft (School of Craft), Traditional Food and Local Ingredients (You Think You Can Masak), and Creative Arts Workshop based on a Cultural Heritage Site (Youth Arts Camp)
On 9 November 2018, Sekolah Budaya Warisan was launched to promote and disseminate cultural heritage by infusing cultural heritage content through place (or project)-based learning into the school’s curriculum and co-curriculum. Schools in Penang are identified to become model schools to promote and advocate a more dynamic, creative and sustainable cultural heritage education effort within and outside the school learning environment.
The schools that showcased the outcome of their efforts were SMK Air Itam (MyPenangHill – Tanah Runtuh (Landslide) and SMK Abdullah Munshi (Getaran Jiwa – Mesej Utama Filem P. Ramlee).
Learn more about the programme on Facebook and YouTube.
For details on CHEP, contact Chuah Ai Kheng, Manager of the Department of Cultural Heritage Research and Development, at 04-261 6606 or e-mail akchuah[at]gtwhi[dot]com[dot]my, or Arts-ED at cheppenang[at]gmail[dot]com.
