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Award for Innovative School Projects in History Education 2024 - CALL FOR PROPOSALS [CLOSED]
Strasbourg, France | 19 September 2023The HISTOLAB award for innovative school projects in history education encourages students to share their interests and ideas, and to express their vision of how they want to learn about history. They are asked to ruminate on their experiences with learning history, and to submit their ideas on how history teaching could be more effective in meeting their interests, while strengthening their understanding of democratic culture and the respect for human rights, as promoted by the Council of Europe.
Contrary to the widely shared belief that the knowledge presented in the history classrooms, through textbooks, is finite, knowable, and manageable; history is in fact complex and contentious. To reflect this inherent complexity in their teaching, history educators must focus on new tools and innovative teaching practices to keep students active and interested in their learning process. They need to show that history is ever-present in our day-to-day life and is an important key to understanding social, cultural, and political affairs; our legal systems; arts; technological advancement; and also, the causes and consequences of environmental devastation and climate change.
Innovative ways of teaching history rooted in the principle of multiperspectivity can bring together stories and communities and empower us to examine our shared past. It is evident that the need for innovation in history teaching reaches beyond academia and connects directly with teachers and students.
How can teachers and student come together to create lessons that have a lasting impact?
This award is the opportunity to ask students their opinion and give their ideas on how to create an innovative experience to learn about history.
History education has the unique potential to develop students’ nuanced understanding of the past. By connecting past and present, it can inspire learners to build a peaceful world. But for history education to fulfil this potential, it needs to be approached using innovative methods, based on multiperspectivity, dialogue and critical reasoning.
For the HISTOLAB School Award 2024, we are looking for the best examples of teaching history in a unique and original way.
Students, share your project with us and show the innovation that you use to answer one, or more of the following questions:
- How can history education amplify underrepresented or marginalised stories?
- How can local history be connected to wider historical events on a European or global level?
- How can new technology and digitalisation be used in history education?
- How can museums and places of remembrance enrich the learning of history?
Schools and students from the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (OHTE) member and observer states* are eligible to apply, with two different age-group categories:
- 1st group: School students ages 10-13
- 2nd group: School students ages 14-18
Please note, all European schools are also eligible to apply regardless of the country.
*The member and observer states of OHTE are: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Cyprus, France, Georgia, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, North Macedonia, Portugal, Republic of Moldova (Observer), Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Türkiye, Ukraine (Observer).
UPDATE: Applications are now closed. We aim to inform all applicants of the outcome of their submissions by 15 February 2024.
Those selected will be invited to present their projects during the European Innovation Days in History Education in April 2024, at the Council of Europe Headquarters in Strasbourg.
Address any questions you might have to: HISTOLAB@coe.int
For more information on who can submit their ideas and projects, as well as the format to do so, please consult the document below:
