Discover Heritage

Heritage in Schools

Our program includes a Heritage Study Guide, Field Trip Grants, and Professional Development support for educators

Support this Program

Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Heritage in Schools Program includes our Heritage Study Guide that is full of helpful resources for teaching about local heritage, our popular Field Trip Grants, and Professional Development support for educators.

The Heritage in Schools Program aims to:

  • Increase students’ and educators’ awareness and knowledge of local heritage places and history by providing learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom.
  • Encourage students and teachers to engage with Vancouver’s diverse heritage places, and contribute to meaningful discussions around their histories and future legacies.
  • Support the professional development of educators in order to promote place-based heritage education in Vancouver public schools.  We do this by collaborating with educators and students to develop accessible resources and self-directed inquiry-based projects, and through support of Vancouver Heritage Fairs.

Thank You to Our Project Partners

The Christopher Foundation

Andrew Mahon Foundation

Laura Saimoto

Shigeo Saimoto

GMR Foundation

Friends of VHF

Vancouver Historical Society

Professional Development Support

Vancouver Heritage Foundation hosts a variety of Professional Development Day (“Pro-D Day”) sessions intended for current educators focusing on enriching K-12 lesson plans and programming. VHF recognizes educators as a diverse field and not exclusive to district school teachers. We welcome all those whose field of work or employment/volunteer position impacts the education of K-12 children and youth.

We present 3 new sessions during the October, November and February Provincial and District Pro-D Days. We will be announcing our October 24th and November 21st Pro-D Days in June 2025.

Find upcoming sessions

Past Pro-D for Educators Sessions

  • February 14th – Places That Matter | How We Look at Cities – South Vancouver Mackenzie Elementary School, Mountain View Cemetery, John Oliver Secondary and John Oliver Secondary Legacy Society (Archives), and South Memorial Park. A full day of neighbourhood explorations with John Atkin and guests.
  • February 16th – Exploring Black Histories: Fran Morrison, BC Black History Awareness Society on Black Histories of British Columbia: Explore-Discover-Learn-Share’, Joy Russell, Writer, Poet, Artist and MA Student at SFU entitled Swimming Against the Tide: The Archive, Regulation and Resistance in Aquatic Recreation at Crystal Pool and ‘Brown Skin Beach’ and City of Vancouver Archives. False Creek Ferries to lunch at Juke’s Fried Chicken. Walking Tours with Hogan’s Alley Society and John Atkin.
  • April 22, 2024 – A Day in Historic Punjabi Market with South Asian Stories. Sunset Community Centre, Joe Wong. Punjabi Market Collective’s mural and history walking tour with Jag Nagra and Jas Lolly. Lunch buffet at Himalaya Restaurant with Manny Pabla. Afternoon sessions: Gulzar Nanda, Hi-Class Jeweller and Punjabi Market Collective. Jag and Jaz on 2nd Ave Gurdwara Kits, Komagata Maru and Paldi. Anu Chouhan, animator and illustrator
  • October 25, 2024 – Places That Matter | How We Look at Cities – Downtown From šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square to the Roundhouse Community Centre, we walked and talked through cultural landscapes, place names, everyday heritage and expanded the narrative on the city’s early people, places and events.
  • November 22, 2024 – Strathcona School and Neighbourhood Explorations (through VSB) Places That Matter -Strathcona Elementary School, Archives & the East End walking tour with John Atkin. In partnership with VSB Head TL, VHF presented on Heritage in Schools and John Atkin presented a context of Strathcona in the library commons. Strathcona School Archives shared their work, and we toured the interior school spaces and walked the neighbourhood.
  • February 17 Family & Stories: Vietnamese-Canadian Stories from Vancouver’s Little Saigon with Andy Pham, Ba Le, Anh and Chi,  H.P. Fraser, Chrystal Phan and Liz Crocker, Royal BC Museum
  • April 24 Kuwentuhan (storytelling) on Fraser Street’s Filipino Connections presented with Mubuhay House Society, Leonora C. Angeles, Sammie Jo Rumbaua, Joseph Planta, Shameless Buns, O’Taho and Mable Elmore’s Constituency Office, Migrante BC, and retired teachers from Tupper Secondary
  • October 20 Chinatown Connections with Chinese Canadian Museum exhibit and heritage tour, and Indigenous/Chinese-Canadian workshop and walking tours by Larry Chin and John Atkin. Lunch from Tato’s Kitchen and tarts from New Town Bakery.
  • February 18 – Special walking tour for Mackenzie Elementary staff – neighbourhood and Mountain View Cemetery
  • April 25Virtual Session with Musqueam Elder Larry Grant. ‘Discover Chinatown’ with Chinatown Storytelling Centre, Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, BC Dragon Boat Society, and Chinese Canadian Museum
  • October 21 – Hastings Park with the Japanese Canadian Hastings Park Interpretive Centre Society, Nikkei National Museum, John Atkin, Fujiya and the PNE
  • February 12Place-Based Learning: Inquiry & Connections with History & Heritage (VHF)
  • April 26 Virtual Session full day:  John Atkin, Dr. Leonora Angeles, Aynsley Wong, Lama Mugabo I Dream Library, and Jeff Chiba Stearns. Musqueam Language and Culture Department speakers: Vanessa Campbell, Courtenay Gibson and Mack Paul.
  • October 22Hidden Heritage with VHF and John Atkin: looking at your school and school communities, neighbourhood context and making observations.
  • February 14 Vancouver Japanese Language School- JC history with Carolyn Nakagawa of Nikkei Museum and walking tour of Paueru-Gai area with Laura Saimoto. Lunch at Dosanko. Walking tour of Gastown with John Atkin.
  • October 23Virtual: Step Outside and Get Online – Connecting Educators with Local Heritage and History, Speakers John Atkin, Vancouver educators sharing resources and projects, VSB Head TL, SFU Bill Reid Gallery curator, Historic Joy Kogawa House and Paneet Singh, playwright.

Field Trip Grants

Applications for the 2024/2025 Field Trip Grants are now closed. Follow VHF’s enews and social media channels to find out the latest on our Heritage in Schools program. Add yourself to our educators email list, or if you have questions regarding the program or application process, please email Community Engagement Manager, Jessica Quan at jessica@vancouverheritagefoundation.org
If you are a past Field Trip Grant recipient, please ensure you have completed your Field Trip Grant Completion Form to be considered for future grants.

Field Trip Grants Applications for 2026 field trips will re-open in fall of 2025.

Learn More