Opinions of student participants in the Heritage Protectors Training Workshops
The future of the site is in good hands

Between 12 and 13 September 2023, the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation and the Local Action Resource Center Association (CRAL) organized the third training seminar "Protectors of the European Archaeological Cultural Heritage –Sarmizegetusa".

15 participants were present at the workshop and the target group, in the case of this seminar, was represented by the students from the "Aurel Vlaicu" Theoretical High School in the municipality of Orăștie, the closest urban center to the Dacian fortresses. We have considered this target group precisely to help students discover information related to the importance of the UNESCO site the Dacian Fortresses in the Orăștie Mountains, directly from the specialists. We also wanted to encourage young people to discover the value of the area so that, after finishing their studies, they would return home and open their businesses here. Youth can also be a very good resource for providing guides at the Sarmizegetusa Regia site, especially during the summer holidays. The seminar participants were selected by the CRAL Association following consultations with the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation, the Hunedoara County Council, the General Directorate of Monuments Administration and Tourist Promotion of Hunedoara County (DGAMPT) – the institution that administers the Dacian fortresses in the Orăștie Mountains on the territory of the Hunedoara County, and the "Aurel Vlaicu Orăstie" Theoretical High School.  

The seminar was conducted by the consultant involved in the project, the architect and professor Leoncio Orellana Vivanco, with almost 15 years of work experience in Romania, in heritage projects, community development, and institutional capacity building. Furthermore, we also had the pleasure of having Mrs. Caroline Fernolend, president of the Mihai Eminescu Trust Foundation and expert in the revitalization of local communities in Romania by valuing the natural and cultural heritage, present at the seminar.  

The first day of the seminar took place between 9.00 and 16.00 and was dedicated to discussions. The participants were invited to introduce themselves and specify their connection with the Sarmizegetusa Regia site. Prof. Leo Orellana presented the course support using the Sirchal interactive method, and Mrs. Caroline Fernolend spoke to the participants about the experience and the steps to follow for registering an objective on the UNESCO heritage list. Discussions followed focusing on the values of the Sarmizegetusa Regia site, and the participants, through interactive group activities, were invited to identify them and explain to others what these values mean to them. They were also invited to define in one word what a heritage protective guide should be, in their view. Participants were invited to search online for information about the site and present the information to others and why they found it relevant. 

The second day of the seminar also took place between 09.00 and 16.00. The first part consisted in a visit to the Sarmizegetusa Regia site. The participants in the seminar were provided with a guided tour by dr. Răzvan Mateescu, archaeologist at the National Museum of Transylvanian History, Cluj-Napoca. The guided visit allowed the participants to better understand the importance of the site at national and international levels. The second part of the day was dedicated to discussions about what does the Sarmizegetusa Regia site, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, represent for every future heritage protector/guide. From the list of impressions of the participants to this workshop:

"It's a place full of memories from family trips, I wouldn't have learned so much without the guide, I must come to visit more often."
"The guided tour was very well structured and professional, and the landscape and atmosphere were very beautiful, I had an informative and interesting experience."
"A connection with the place and history, a beautiful experience where I received new, beautiful information. I have never been so captivated by the story of the place."

"The guide and the message were very well structured, chronologically, there was a lot of new information retained."

According to the young participants, a heritage protector should provide information in a way that captures the attention of the guided people, be outgoing and adapt to the audience, be empathetic, and combine the new with the old. 

 At the end of the seminar, the balance of the two days of interactive training was taken, and the participants shared useful information with the other participants or expressed their point of view on how they could contribute to the protection and promotion of this site, including through short video materials.  

 To help participants stay in touch and continue to share useful information in order to be heritage protectors, a dedicated WhatsApp group has been created.