Archaeology for Schools – how good is that!

At a time when Outreach seems to be contracting it’s nice to come across an organisation dedicated to extending it. Archaeology for Schools (see their website here)  grew out of a University of Chester undergraduate project to bring proper academically focussed British archaeology into schools. It now operates as a North West based not-for-profit heritage company supplying a whole range of outreach services.

Their core activity is supplying archaeologically-focussed workshops, seminars and talks to schools (including arranging “visits from archaeologists, Egyptologists, Roman Soldiers and Viking Warriors”!) and conducting outdoor activities exploring the historic environment around local schools. They have also provided a public outreach show at the Museum of Liverpool including a series of ‘time-line tours’ as well as something for younger museum-goers called The Dead Good Show (we want to go to that!)

We like their “outreach ethos”:  “Outreach should be much more than experts talking and the public listening” and even more their message about archaeology:

“It is much more than just excavation. In fact, digging is an expensive, labour intensive undertaking that requires experience and professionalism if it is to be completed properly. The strength of archaeology lies in its diversity, and activites such as landscape surveys, fieldwalking, map research and place-name studies are all ways people can get involved with archaeology without getting their hands dirty!”

Finally, we like what they say about themselves: “Forgot to mention: we are a not-for-profit Community Interest Company…. we do heritage, because we love heritage!”

How good is that? More power to their elbows!

Update: Here’s a dead good trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=cyCKL_leA10