TEHIC-Handbook_of_best_practices

153 7.3.2. Integrated Educational Project in Oeiras Working sessions (two per month) alternate work at the heritage site and school. Consid- ering the specific interests of each group, the idea is to work on a theme related to municipal Local Heritage Routes, based on three axes (Memory, Identity and Heritage) and in direct relation with the school curricula of each relevant education level: elementary or secondary school. Registration is done by the teacher using the Oeiras Educa+ portal, free of charge for stu- dents, as the City Council pays all the activities. Each session is accompanied by two mediators and visits to sites are guided by each her - itage site staff. The two mediators of the sessions are experienced in heritage mediation as well as artistic production, allowing the students to choose from a wide range of artistic techniques. As the skillset of the mediators plays a particularly significant role in widening the class’s choice of options, it is important that these types of projects are led by media - tors with different training background and expertise. Criteria it meets and justification 1. Time and Sustainability Time path of the project This project was implemented in 2023. According to the project’s methodology, each project has six sessions (two per month). It has been implemented four times with four different classes. Sustainability This program allows students to take on heritage as one’s own. The project is developed by the heritage dynamization unit of Oeiras City Council, and the selected heritage sites belong to that municipality. As such, it acts as a local development project, promoting heritage enhancement among the community. Some of the heritage sites that were se - lected by classes are very meshed in the experience of the city or local transportation (for example, the forts can be seen by train commuters, and the palace gardens are in the historic centre and can be visited easily). Finally, the project not only promotes the knowl - edge of these sites, but it encourages appropriation, by asking students to critically think, observe, learn, interact, and create, which is likely to produce stronger memories than just one-time visits.