Launch of Schools Resources by Wicklow County Archives & Local Studies Services

CE of Wicklow County Council Brian Gleeson, Catherine Wright, Cathaoirleach of Wicklow County Council Tommy Annesley, Gerlanda Maniglia and Brendan Martin at the launch of New Educational Resources by Wicklow County Archives & Local Studies Services which was held in Council Buildings, Wicklow Town

Sheila Clancy, Irene Cosgrove, Mary O'Donnell and Joanne Stapleton from St Mary's College Arklow with Wicklow County Council Director of Services Michael Nicholson

Mary Egan from Avondale Community College and Annmarie Doyle from Coláiste Bhríde Carnew

Dara Horan and John Maddock of Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School with Gerlanda Maniglia

Historians Sean Byrne, Joan Kavanagh and Jim Rees with Wicklow County Council Heritage Officer Deirdre Burns

Image: Wicklow County Council

Wicklow County Council Archives and Local Studies services have launched two sets of history resources for secondary school teachers and students. These practical and comprehensive resources are designed for both Junior and Senior Cycle levels.

Resource packs

Educational Resources for Junior Cycle History

Educational Resources for Senior Cycle History

The local studies resource focuses on the junior cycle history Class Based Assessment or CBA while the archives resource supports the Leaving Certificate history Research Study Report, or RSR as it is known. Both packs consist of guides to the collections of the Wicklow Archives and Local Studies services, guides to the CBA and RSR, as well as digital resources including worksheets, and Powerpoint presentations.

Funding

The project was supported by the Heritage Council under their new Heritage Stewardship grant scheme and designed by Yellowstone.

Wicklow Library Archives & Local Studies collections

The Archives and Local Studies services are located in Wicklow Library in Wicklow town. They offer a rich resource for researchers of wide and varying interests – students, teachers, local and family historians, academic researchers and those interested in the story of County Wicklow, the history and development of the county, of local communities, and the authorities who served them. Painting a vivid picture of life in our districts, the archives and local studies services play a key role in collecting, preserving, sharing and celebrating Wicklow’s Heritage through records collections, maps, photographs, newspapers and local history publications.

Younger audiences

By developing these schools resources, the archivist and local studies librarian recognise that it is crucial to make their collections as accessible as possible to students. They focus on the special projects of the Junior and Senior cycle curriculums and were developed in close consultation with history teachers.

Cllr Tommy Annesley, Cathaoirleach, Wicklow County Council, said:

“We are very proud of our Wicklow County Council Archives and Local Studies collections and I welcome this opportunity to promote these valuable cultural and educational resources to the teachers and students of County Wicklow. Engaging a younger audience in the study of local history will ensure this legacy continues. A highly globalised world and time of rapid change can be a very challenging environment for young people. I believe that history gives young people grounding, helps them understand what came before them, their place in the world and in their community – a ‘sense of place’ and a sense of identity. Indeed, our younger historians provide us with a new perspective – we can learn so much from them too”.

Mr Brian Gleeson, Chief Executive, stated:

“Our new National Library Strategy encourages us to work with local communities and partners to collect, explore, preserve and celebrate cultural memory, and to offer a range of cultural experiences. I am confident that this educational pack will inspire our historians of tomorrow. The teaching and study of history is alive and well in County Wicklow and I think the new resources offered by the archives and local studies services will serve this learning well into the future.”

Outreach activities continue

This is the first in a series of outreach activities planned for the coming year. Others will include school visits and workshops and the welcoming of school groups to Wicklow Library & Archives.