The text investigates the transformative potential of immersive, community-based educational practices in heritage conservation. This presentation argues that for Generation Z – often described as digital natives facing global uncertainty – education must evolve beyond traditional theoretical frameworks to include direct engagement with the tangible and intangible dimensions of heritage. It emphasizes how experiential learning rooted in local contexts, especially through collaboration with rural communities and interaction with vernacular architecture, can foster deeper social consciousness and ethical responsibility among students and emerging professionals in the field of heritage conservation.

By participating in conservation interventions within rural settings, students encounter heritage not as static monuments, but as living systems embedded in everyday practices, memory, and identity. These immersive experiences challenge them to navigate complex socio-cultural dynamics, recognize the interdependence between communities and their environments, and reflect critically on their role as future heritage professionals. Through direct dialogue with community members – often stewards of overlooked or undervalued heritage – students cultivate empathy, humility, and an appreciation for plural narratives and grassroots knowledge.

The study presents evidence from interdisciplinary conservation projects where students worked on vernacular architecture in depopulated rural areas. The outcomes demonstrate how these engagements nurture key competencies: adaptive thinking, intercultural sensitivity, collaborative problem-solving, and a sense of civic duty. Moreover, this approach strengthens what we define as “social ripeness”: the maturity to act ethically, inclusively, and sustainably in professional and societal contexts.

Ultimately, the presentation proposes a pedagogical shift in heritage education – one that aligns academic knowledge with experiential, place-based learning to empower Gen Z as socially-aware, action-oriented custodians of cultural landscapes. This model positions heritage conservation not only as a technical discipline but as a powerful educational tool for social transformation and democratic engagement.

Keywords: Students Engagement, Undervalued Heritage, Rural Settings, Community-Based Educational Practices.