The ‘Archief Challenge’ introduces students (typically ages 10-12) to the Amsterdam City Archives, cultural heritage, and the importance of preservation. The program is structured as an escape game that takes place in the Schatkamer (Treasury) of the archives. The educational value of the Archief Challenge lies in its ability to engage students in hands-on learning about cultural heritage, fostering critical thinking and teamwork while instilling an appreciation for the importance of preserving historical records. By playing the 5 games the students unlock the Archive Box, which contains a collection of contemporary photos of Amsterdam. With this, the groups create small exhibitions about their Amsterdam. They discuss, come up with a theme and title, choose photos for the theme and write captions and they present the exhibitions to each other. The contributions are then included in the archive and preserved forever.

This educational program is developed and designed by us in collaboration with Linda Maas and Stefanie van Odenhoven.
Amsterdam City Archives, 2024
Photos TungstenPro and Linda Maas