'The museum of our roots. Objects that tell us about the stories that make us who we are.'
The work experience programme for high schools (PCTO), run by MUDEM with the Italian School in Montevideo, was recently concluded and crowned by the launch of the 'Museum of Migration'. This entirely virtual museum was 'built' within the Minecraft environment, a video game that is hugely popular with young people.
The project saw a group of Uruguayan students that all have distant Italian roots delve into their own family history as well as into the shared past of the entire Italian community in Uruguay, which emigrated to the region over about one hundred years, from the mid-nineteenth century to about the mid-twentieth century.
The students' research started by gathering and selecting objects and papers belonging to their own and to their teachers' families, as well as items already displayed in the School Museum. They then used these materials to create a museum-style narrative laid out as a virtual display, with the support of staff from MUDEM.
By combining elements of history and museology with financial education concepts, the students created an exciting journey through time and memory, bringing together family memories and those of entire generations of Italian immigrants.
The exhibition succeeded in recounting the dreams and hard work of many young people who had left Italy with only a few personal belongings, such as a brazier, to remind them of the warmth of home, an accordion or a compass. These objects speak to us of departures and heritage, roots that are stretched but do not break - leading the project participants to look around themselves and behind them, asking questions at home and discovering stories that were unknown to them.
This PCTO confirms the importance for people in education of experimenting with the innovative technologies and platforms that are used by the younger generations. Virtual exhibitions and gamification will allow an ever-increasing number of people to enjoy content in an accessible and engaging way.
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