Junior historians win Living Heritage Awards

Junior historians win UNESCO Living Heritage Awards

Some of New Zealand’s youngest historians were presented with Living Heritage Tikanga Tuku Iho Awards as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s meeting being held in Christchurch. The Awards were presented by UNESCO Deputy Director General, Marcio Barbosa, during a special ceremony at the Christchurch Town Hall.

“Our heritage is what we live with today and what we pass on to future generations of New Zealanders,” says UNESCO New Zealand Communications chairman Laurence Zwimpfer.

“By celebrating treasures that exist within their very own communities, young New Zealanders are ensuring that their voices will also be heard by future generations.”

Living Heritage is a free, innovative online resource that enables schools all over New Zealand to study and report on heritage treasures. It is bilingual (English-Maori) and provides support for New Zealand schools to develop and publish websites about a heritage taonga or treasure in their community.

“Taonga documented on Living Heritage sites span the depth and breadth of New Zealand,” says Mr Zwimpfer.
Through the support of the National Library, the Living Heritage websites are being stored on their computers and are accessible to everyone on the Internet. “It’s wonderful to be part of connecting the children of today with our nation’s heritage, now and into the future” said Penny Carnaby, National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library.

This year’s recipients come from all over New Zealand – from Franz Josef on the West Coast, to Cannons Creek in Porirua and then west to New Plymouth.”

The UNESCO Living Heritage Award celebrates schools whose work contributes to UNESCO objectives. This year’s winners are:

Franz Josef Glacier school for their website on the Okarito Brown Kiwi
http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/schools/primary/franzjosef/rowi_kiwi/index.htm
“Some lovely creative work…”
New Plymouth Central school for their website on Koru Pa located on the bend of the OakuraRiver, Taranaki
http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/schools/primary/central-new-plymouth/welcome.html
“A fantastic exploration of a local landmark…”

Cannons Creek Primary School for their website on Watercress Tuna (a local statue of the eel from Patricia Grace's bookWatercress Tuna and the Children of Champion Street):

http://www.livingheritage.org.nz/schools/primary/cannons-creek/watercress-tuna/
“Great use of stories…excellent research work…”
Living Heritage is a 2020 Communications Trust project in partnership with the National Library who continues to support it and have contributed to the UNESCO Living Heritage Award. Living Heritage also receives support from the Government’s Digital Strategy Community Partnership Fund and is managed by CWA New Media.

ENDS

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