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 host full day sessions in different parts of Vancouver in October, November, February. Additional Pro-D sessions can be offered by request.
Friday, February 13th, 9am - 3pm
UBC
$75+tax
Join VHF for a day of learning at UBC with the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) and the Belkin Art Gallery, focused on Indigenous histories and perspectives. Beginning with an exploration of the Indian Residential School System (IRS) and its enduring impacts and concludes with a guided walking tour that features site-responsive artworks by Indigenous artists that encourage us to think about place, space, and identity in new ways.
This full-day session will take place rain or shine so please dress for the weather! Participants may encounter a variety of terrain including gravel, stairs, slopes. The morning will take place indoors at the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) and the afternoon will comprise of a 1.5–2 km guided walking tour on campus led by Naomi Sawada from the Belkin Art Gallery.
Lunch will not be provided so participants are welcome to bring their own lunch or find lunch on campus during the lunch break. We will provide a list of nearby food options closer to the session date.
Please note that the starting and end points of this workshop are at different locations. This is a mask-friendly and scent-free event.
Photo Credit: Brent Sparrow Jr., Musqueam qeqən (2016). Photo Courtesy of the Belkin Art Gallery
Past Pro-D for Educators Sessions
- February 14 – Places That Matter | How We Look at Cities – South Vancouver A full day of exploring the South Vancouver neighbourhood, including Mackenzie Elementary School, Mountain View Cemetery, John Oliver Secondary and John Oliver Secondary Legacy Society (Archives), and South Memorial Park with John Atkin and guests.
- October 24 – A Day in the West End
- October 24 – Chinatown Connections
- November 21 – Exploring Legacies: A Day at the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre and Temple Sholom
- February 16 – Exploring Black Histories with 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 – A Day in Historic Punjabi Market with South Asian Stories with 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 – 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 – Strathcona School and Neighbourhood Explorations (through VSB) In partnership with VSB Head TL, VHF presented on Heritage in Schools and PTM 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 of the 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 and Japanese Canadian history with Carolyn Nakagawa of Nikkei Museum and walking tour of Paueru-Gai area with Laura Saimoto. Lunch at Dosanko followed by a walking tour of Gastown with John Atkin.
- October 23– Virtual: Step Outside and Get Online – Connecting Educators with Local Heritage and History with John Atkin, VSB Head TL, SFU Bill Reid Gallery curator, Historic Joy Kogawa House and Paneet Singh, playwright, as well as Vancouver educators sharing resources and projects.