Events

Professional Development for Educators

Support for Vancouver's teachers!

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.

Interested in learning more about Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Heritage in Schools program, Heritage Study Guide and Field Trip Grants?

Community Engagement Manager, Jessica Quan, can make a visit to your school on upcoming Pro-D Days, either in person or virtually for a free 60 min session. A presentation/discussion can range from “What is Heritage and place-based learning” and its connections to the BC Curriculum, as well as in-depth online resources, field trips and ways to engage with the heritage and history of your school, the community and the neighbourhood. Please confirm booking at least 3 days in advance. Contact jessica@vancouverheritagefoundation.org

General availability between 9:30am-2:30pm.

Upcoming Sessions

Upcoming professional development sessions will appear here when available.

2025 Pro-D Dates:

  • October 24th (Provincial) & November 21st (District wide)

2026 Pro-D Dates:

  • February 13th (District wide) & April 20th (District wide)

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 25– Virtual 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 12 –Place-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 22– Hidden 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 23– Virtual: 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.