Published: 20260326
Specialists at the museum developed a professional development program for Lithuanian teachers titled "Creative Tools for Educational Efficiency." Teachers were invited to participate in a 60-hour course, held both in person and remotely. During the sessions, museum professionals explained how the state and society can be presented to students in an engaging way using a historical landmark – the Palace of the Grand Dukes.
"Everyday life and its stories are what allow students to perceive the past more closely," says training organizer Lirija Steponavičienė, Head of the Museum's Education Department. "We all remember emotions more vividly than dry facts; we grasp a phenomenon or historical fact more easily when we can link it to a specific place or small daily details. These are the principles we follow when receiving visitors at the Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum and, over time, we have experienced firsthand what most interests and affects young and old alike."
In preparing this training, museum staff relied on general education curricula but offered new perspectives on the history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Tsarist occupation, and modern times. For example, they discussed how historical processes are determined by social memory, the importance of state residential buildings like the Palace of the Grand Dukes, and what the destruction or reconstruction of such structures signifies. According to the museum staff, sometimes even a single object can inspire a story, so teachers were introduced to the most interesting archaeological finds exhibited at the museum.
Separate sessions, both remote and in person, were prepared by a joint team of museum specialists. The director of the Palace of the Grand Dukes Museum, cultural historian Dr. Vydas Dolinskas, presented the concept of the palace's reconstruction and the importance of preserving historical memory. Education methodologist Dr. Nelija Kostinienė suggested creating narratives about the past based on selected heritage objects using the Narrative Educational Play (NEPL) methodology. Archaeologists Inga Šildiajevaitė, Egidijus Ožalas, and Gintautas Striška provided several examples of how to coordinate general education programs with cultural education. Archaeologist Dr. Rasa Gliebutė spoke about gemstones and jewelry worn in the ruler's court. The museum's rich and multifaceted collections were presented by their curators Dr. Irutė Kaminskaitė, Arūnas Kalėjus, and Dalius Avižinis. Cultural historian Prof. Dr. Ieva Kuizinienė revealed that examples of past luxury, such as tapestry collections, provide a wealth of visual information about the Grand Duchy of Lithuania's ties with other European states and their rulers.
In early March, educators participated in the training in person and had the unique opportunity to visit the museum's "kitchen" – the restoration workshop. Restorers and researchers Mantvidas Mieliauskas, Dr. Rūtilė Pukienė, Deimantė Baubaitė, and Jurgita Kalėjienė suggested that teachers occasionally use knowledge about how old objects are reborn and what they reveal. The subtleties and unexpected nuances of restoring leather, glass, clay, wood, and metal treasures were presented to the teachers in an engaging manner. The teachers stated they were sincerely surprised to learn that even in a historical museum, one can discover real-world applications of STEAM education methods. Following the seminar, participants had the chance to visit the collection storage facilities alongside the curators.
Historian Dr. Ramunė Šmigelskytė-Stukienė offered a provocative topic regarding the bureaucrats of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and revealed the differences between Noble Democracy and Constitutional Monarchy. Lirija Steponavičienė spoke in greater detail than is found in textbooks about state governing institutions and legal documents.
Collection curator Dr. Irutė Kaminskaitė suggested discussing the daily lives of rulers as an imagination-sparking illustration for history lessons, presenting combs and mirrors from the museum's collection. Cultural historian Dr. Rasa Leonavičiūtė-Gecevičienė revealed the secrets of Bona Sforza's historical kitchen. Lecturer Dr. Toma Zarankaitė-Margienė reminded participants of falconry, a hunting method that has become almost a museum rarity today. Dr. Živilė Mikailienė explained to the educators how long it takes to organize an exhibition in a museum and what school communities can learn from this when preparing exhibitions in their own environments. Lirija Steponavičienė shared insights into the effort and time a guide requires to prepare a tour of an exhibition or gallery. While presenting each historical era and debating their chronology in general education programs, the lecturers suggested that teachers select a unique, engaging way of presenting theory for every historical period.
Following two months of remote seminars and live meetings at the museum, on March 27, the training participants will summarize the results of their activities and share their impressions and insights at the final seminar.
The professional development program was implemented at the request of the Kaišiadorys Education Center. The service was purchased by the Kaunas City Municipal Administration, which commissioned cultural education training for heads and teachers of Kaunas city municipal schools participating in the "Millennium Schools" program and schools involved through networking.
Photo credit: Vytautas Abramauskas.
