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:
The Christopher Foundation
Andrew Mahon Foundation
Laura Saimoto
Shigeo Saimoto
GMR Foundation
Friends of VHF
Vancouver Historical Society
In Kind Sponsor
Starbucks
COBS Bread Main St
Monday, April 22nd, 9am - 4pm
Punjabi Market
$100+tax
Join VHF for the last full Pro-D for educators of the 2023-24 school year and spend a day delving into the history of the Punjabi Market and exploring South Asian stories and their connections to Vancouver. Beginning at Sunset Community Centre (6810 Main St), the morning will include a walking tour by the Punjabi Market Collective featuring colourful murals and visits with local shopkeepers. After a buffet lunch at Himalaya (6587 Main St), the afternoon will feature an engaging lunch-and-learn session with guest speakers who will touch on a variety of topics such as the Komagata Maru, Punjabi language and the importance of keeping intangible history alive. Registration cost includes lunch with vegetarian/vegan options available.
This Pro-D is presented with: Punjabi Market Collective
Photo caption: Tour of Punjabi Market by the Punjabi Market Collective. Credit: Rattan Singh Prakash
About the Speakers
Jag Nagra is a queer Punjabi visual artist who is passionate about community development and ending the stigma against LGBTQ+ people within the South Asian community. She focuses her art practice on concepts that depict a sense of confidence and fearlessness—she unapologetically celebrates darker skin tones and South Asian garments and motifs. Her artworks have been acquired by the Museum of Vancouver for their permanent collection and she has been featured in the multi-award winning internationally acclaimed LGBTQ+ documentary Emergence: Out of the Shadows.
Jas Lally is a valued curator, art historian and arts professional with over 10 years of service to the Vancouver art community. For the past three years, she has curated Murals in the Market through her role as Board Member at Large for the Punjabi Market Collective where she has woven a visual tapestry of present day voices steeped in history in the Punjabi Market. Her independent practice and research focuses on contemporary artists from the South Asian diaspora in Vancouver. Through mentorship and consultation, Lally is building pivotal relationships with care, understanding and cultural recognition.
Gulzar Nanda is a second-generation Punjabi settler who lives, learns and works in the unceded, ancestral lands of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. He is a co-manager of Hi-Class Jewellers, the founder of Ms Tiffin, and a co-founder of the popular Vancouver sports podcast The Larschcast. Gulzar is a child of the Punjabi Market. His parents immigrated to these lands in the eighties and founded Hi-Class Jewellers. Shortly after this, Gulzar was brought into the world and the Punjabi Market became his home. He co-founded the Punjabi Market Collective as a way to honour the legacy of his parents and the elders who helped shape the Punjabi community residing in Greater Vancouver. He hopes that the Collective will usher in a new era of understanding, solidarity, and community for South Asians living in Vancouver.
Anu Chouhan is a Punjabi-Canadian illustrator and art director. A trained animator with a background in game development, Anu often combines her love of her cultural heritage into her art, as well as always being inspired by anime, nature, and global fashion. Upon completion of her Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Arts from Simon Fraser University, Anu developed her skills at Capilano University to obtain her Commercial Animation diploma. She is the author and illustrator of the picture book Hair Oil Magic, and recently illustrated the first volume of the graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times bestselling book Whatever After. Her unique, edgy, and energetic art has been featured by the CBC, the BBC, Harper’s Bazaar Bride India, The Times of India, and The Times of London.
Professional Development Day (“Pro-D Day”) sessions are intended for current educators focusing on enriching their K-12 lesson plans/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. Please contact jessica@vancouverheritagefoundation.org if you have any questions regarding our Pro-D sessions. If you are not a current educator but are interested in the event, please sign up for the event waitlist.
Our easy-to-use Heritage Study Guide contains a wealth of resources that connect to the BC curriculum. The guide helps educators to incorporate heritage and local history in the classroom and make place-based connections to communities beyond the classroom.
The focus is on place-based learning to help students understand their local environment and how it fits into our evolving city. The guide helps educators unpack complex concepts and explores intangible and tangible aspects of local heritage to create an understanding of why these places matter. The PDF is downloadable and the most up-to-date version will be found here.
Heritage Study Guide PDFAs part of our Heritage in Schools Program, we provide professional development support to educators by offering a variety of in-person and virtual sessions as part of organized professional development days.
If you wish to invite VHF to present to your staff or class, arrange a walking tour of your school and neighbourhood, or to be on the Professional Development Days email list, please contact: jessica@vancouverheritagefoundation.org
The application form for the 2023-2024 school year is now closed. Please visit the Field Trip Grants page for more information.
The 2024-2025 Application Form will be open in the fall and close before December 15th, 2024. Please follow VHF’s e-newsletter and social media for communications or email to be added to an educator’s mailing list.
For inquiries, please contact jessica@vancouverheritagefoundation.org
VHF is proud to support Vancouver Heritage Fairs part of the BC Heritage Fairs Society, a non-profit organization that promotes the education of Canadian history amongst BC students.
Vancouver Heritage Fairs is always looking for volunteers. They are currently looking for English and French speaking adjudicators who are interested in history and heritage, and enjoy working with children. Participation in the annual May Regionals is the summation of a year-long inquiry-based project on a topic related to the BC Social Studies Curriculum.
If you wish to participate or assist with sponsorship, please contact: vanregionalhf@gmail.com