Description
The researchers at the Hellenic Children’s Museum (HCM) designs and produces an interactive exhibit around diversity and xenophobia. The exhibit aims to provoke stimuli for exploration, discovery and learning by use of audiovisual material and HCM collections comprised from everyday objects. The exhibit is located at the Children’s Museum and targets children 3-12yrs old, their families, and educators. By using the exhibit as a reference point, interactive training of HCM volunteers and senior citizens will also be organized. The goal is to engage and train volunteers to create awareness and tolerance in dealing with diversity and xenophobia in general, as well as, specifically regarding the operation of the exhibit at the Children’s Museum.
Summary of project results
The Hellenic Children’s Museum (HCM) studied, designed and created an interactive exhibit about diversity, which began operating in the Children’s Museum exhibit area in April 2015. The exhibit addresses people of all ages as well as with people with special abilities. The exhibit contributes to the issue of diversity (racial, social, physical and mental). It promotes the acceptance of others, creates awareness and tolerance in dealing with diversity and xenophobia, racism and prejudices and contributes to social coexistence, all of which issues are very relevant in today’s Greek society. The exhibit’s inauguration took place in May 2015. On the same weekend, 23rd - 24th of May, all the exhibits at the Children’s Museum were dedicated to diversity and specially designed educational programs took place. The title of the program was “I differ, you differ, can we play?” and families with children between 3-12 years old took part in the programs. Throughout the period of project implementation, the exhibit’s operation was supported by a group of 26 volunteers, trained for this purpose. During April – December 2015, 18.017 children & adults (including educators) visited and used the exhibit. Furthermore, organizations that promote human rights and multicultural understanding visited and took part in educational programs in the exhibit, such as the Laboratory of professional education & training of deaf and hard of hearing children, the Greek Council for Refugees “Pyxis” and the elementary school of multicultural education of N.Ionia. The HCM implemented this project as its mission is to help children understand and enjoy the world in which they live. Creating an exhibit around the crucial topic of diversity, which is related to children’s everyday life at school and in society in general, the HCM gave children the opportunity to become trained from a young age on matters that encourage cooperation, solidarity and acceptance of others. Furthermore, the exhibit provided families and adult groups the chance to work in groups, exchange ideas and views and to propose solutions to matters that derive from diversity.
Summary of bilateral results