Cultural Heritage Programming for Children

A Florida Case Study

Abstract

Developing comprehensive ways to measure their impact becomes increasingly important when museum programming grows. Information from interviews with parents/caregivers of children attending archaeology museum programs reveals the impact of hands-on, age-appropriate activities for children. The interviews reveal that participation in archaeological learning influences how students perceive the past. Earlier research has focused on knowledge creation, but not on the creation of a sense of belonging and cultural identity through archaeology education, which helps establish the value of heritage resources. In the future, practitioners should prioritize intrinsic motivation in the discovery and instillation of respect for the past. To further this, future research is needed on best practices of fun and inclusive archaeology programs rooted in discovery that change lifelong learning.