This ERIC Digest discusses heritage education in terms of: (1) what it is; (2) why it belongs in the core curriculum; (3) how it relates to social studies education; and (4) the qualities of exemplary heritage education programs. Heritage education is defined as an approach to teaching and learning about history and culture that uses information available from the material culture and the human and built environments as primary instructional resources. As part of schools' core curricula, heritage education supports U.S. unity and emphasizes the rich diversity of the U.S. population. The best method of including heritage education in the curriculum is to integrate it into existing curriculum patterns. This digest lists the National Trust for Historic Preservation's (Washington, D.C.) nine qualities of exemplary programs and references, including ERIC resources. (JHP)