AMI has pursued its educational activities with dedication since its inception.
In 1955 AMI director Boris Baćić noted that the museum is "...a cultural institution tasked with the protection of monuments, but also a school for the general cultural elevation of adults, and must be a great support in the education of youth." Guided by this idea AMI organised expert-led tours for schools across Istria through our permanent exhibition and key archaeological sites, and hosted lectures on local archaeology. This laid the foundation for the further development of educational programs that connect archaeological heritage with the learning process.
A publicity and culture service and the attendant post of curator-pedagogue were established in 1969. Many years of work by specialists such as Boris Baćić, Vesna Girardi-Jurkić, Ljubica Širec, and Giulia Codacci-Terlević (since 2004) have seen this unit contribute to the development of programmes aimed at a broad range of visitor groups. A further step forward was made in 1985 with the establishment of a pedagogical service, renamed the education section in 2008. Its core objective is to raise public awareness of the value of archaeological heritage and museum material through archaeology-themed projects, expert-led tours, lectures, and workshops.
The education section was recast as the Education Department in late 2024. The work produced in the frame of department projects is regularly showcased through exhibitions. These exhibitions are accompanied by catalogues detailing the creative process and project outcomes. This systematic approach, including valuable collaboration with the local community, makes AMI a unique meeting place of past and present.
