Strengthening Historical Literacy and Local Cultural Knowledge among Vocational High School Students in Semarang, Indonesia

Abstract

Local history and culture constitute essential elements that shape Indonesia's national identity. However, in reality, many young people still lack a comprehensive understanding of their local history and cultural heritage. One of the primary factors contributing to this issue is the limited literacy of younger generations regarding these subjects. Therefore, this community service initiative aimed to organize educational activities to enhance historical and local cultural literacy among vocational high school students in Semarang Regency. The program employed the expository learning method to facilitate interactive two-way discussions between facilitators and participants. The results revealed that a number of students at Al-Ittihad Vocational High School were still unfamiliar with the history and local culture of Semarang Regency, indicating the need for further educational interventions to improve their knowledge. Throughout the program, students demonstrated considerable enthusiasm by actively engaging with the presented materials and responding through critical questions and discussions. Overall, this community service activity had a positive impact on the students and contributed to improving their literacy regarding the history and local culture of Semarang Regency amid the rapid pace of globalization.