Photo by Claudio Testa on Unsplash
The TOWCHED project (Transforming Our World: Collections at the Heart of Life-Long Learning and Education) is a new European initiative exploring how museums and cultural heritage can serve as powerful tools for inclusive education.
Led by the University of Valencia and supported by a diverse international consortium, IIED Europe is a proud partner on the TOWCHED project. It brings together educators, researchers, artists, cultural institutions, and young people to develop innovative learning approaches grounded in sustainability and human rights.
The four core objectives
- Integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into educational practices through arts and heritage.
- Promote a Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) that ensures inclusion, participation, and equity for all learners.
- Co-create and test innovative methods in both formal and non-formal education settings across Europe.
- Empower young people not only as learners but as active contributors to cultural and educational change.
Upcoming focus
Over the next three years, the TOWCHED consortium will collaborate with schools, museums, and youth organisations to design and implement pilot activities. These initiatives will explore how cultural heritage can support educational outcomes, foster identity and belonging, and contribute to socially just learning environments.
By highlighting the intersection of culture, education, and sustainable development, TOWCHED aims to shape a European future where education is inclusive, participatory, and rights-based, and where museums act not only as keepers of memory but as agents of transformation.
For updates on the project’s progress and upcoming activities, visit towched.eu.
