Experience Local Heritage

School Programs and Lesson Plans: https://www.chinesecanadianmuseum.ca/learn/school-programs

2025 Grantee “The field trip was a culmination experience of our learning about Chinatown in the early 1900’s, discriminatory government policies and the anti-Asian riots in Vancouver. I would (and have) highly recommend working with the staff at the Chinese Canadian Museum. It is so well thought out and a hands-on experience for students. I recommend including a walking tour of Chinatown as part of the learning too.” – Nightingale Elementary

School Programs: https://www.chinatownstorytellingcentre.org/learn/#school-programs

2025 Grantee “We came to understand that the Storytelling Centre matters because it shares the stories of Chinese immigrants and how they found a sense of belonging here in Vancouver. This lead us to discover that most of the learners had parents or grandparents who themselves only immigrated to Canada in the last few generations from China, Vietnam, the Philippines, and from the Ukraine. This field trip moved us into the direction of sharing our own stories through the lens of a suitcase project. We all discovered that we are connected through our stories. I concluded this unit by easing into learning about Treaties and how we are all settlers to this land with the exception of the Indigenous people. It was a very powerful unit! The field trip and your website helped me build such an engaging unit.”

Field Trips and Online Learning Activities: https://vancouverchinesegarden.com/learn/schools/

2025 Grantee “This trip was incredibly beneficial for our students. They were able to experience cultural diversity firsthand, which is essential in our multicultural society. The immersive, real-world experience enhanced their understanding of history and social studies, and fostered an appreciation for different cultural practices and traditions, cultivating respect and empathy towards others. The parent chaperons were very appreciative of having such a serene experience and both were appreciative as they had never had the chance to visit the gardens. Once we returned to the school, we held a reflection session where students shared their favourite parts of the trip through journal writing and a sharing circle. Many expressed fascination with the koi fish in the pond and the lucky turtle symbolism all around the garden. Many students remarked they were very happy to learn more about their own culture and history.” – Nootka Elementary

Field Trips: https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/taiken-field-trips/

Resources: https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/resources/

2025 Grantee “We would highly recommend the Taiken field trip to other educators. Their organization, professionalism, and high quality of the tour are to be commended. The price was very reasonable as well. The content could be easily connected to curricular content in a Social Studies class, but the trip could also stand alone as a fun activity to do with your class.” – Killarney Secondary

In-Person School Programs: https://museumofvancouver.ca/in-person-school-programs

*MOV offers an Above and Beyond financial subsidies to schools to offset program and busing costs. Please note these cannot be combined with VHF’s Field Trip Grants.

2025 Grantee “Immigration Nation  is designed to complement the Grade 5 Social Studies curriculum. This hands-on activity brings the concepts studied in the classroom to life with actual artifacts from immigrants and memorabilia curated to represent the era. The museum’s suitcase discoveries humanize the time and issues that actual people experienced. The scavenger hunt-points collection game taught the students how immigrant applications are evaluated. The students were engaged the entire time. This program is most appropriate at the end of the unit, after the students have studied immigration.” – Chief Maquinna Elementary School

2025 Grantee “The Cedar and Sealskins program was great for my grade 3 group. The children learnt about the lives of First Nations and Inuit people. They particularly enjoyed being archeologists completing a dig for Coast Salish artifacts. The parent volunteers who attended were impressed by the hands-on and gamified learning experiences.”  – Simon Fraser Elementary

2025 Grantee Animating History “was a great field trip. It was super hands on and the students were able to create their own stop motion videos. Understanding how to tell stories in this way was very valuable, and now students are creating their own videos at school! The facilitators explained in detail the story of the Anti-Asian riots and what a story board was. It would have been helpful to show an example from another school of storyboards and a finished stop-motion video.” – Henry Hudson Elementary

Window to the Past School Program and Lesson Plan: https://www.roeddehouse.org/programs/

Group Experiences and Tours: https://botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/learn/field-trips/

2025 Grantee “The grant allowed me to take 2 classes of grade 2&3 students on a fieldtrip that may have otherwise been cost prohibitive for some. The UBC Botanical Garden tour introduced the students to local plants and the richness of biodiversity that we have here. It also showed them how a garden is like a plant library and our responsibility in caring for the plants and creatures. They enjoyed making connections to other places they care about – for example, the moon gate reminded them of their home in Japan. 

In class, we have been learning about plants indigenous to our land and on the field trip many students were excited to see real life examples of the plants they had been learning about. We also talked about logging practices, eagle habitats, and the effects of weather and people on the land.

The TreeWalk was a highlight for sure, and many students who were initially nervous about the heights felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment after completing it! In addition to the physical risks the students had to overcome, they were able to appreciate a new perspective of the forest from above. The STEAM applications of how the treewalk is suspended was also fascinating for our students. The guides were excellent and provided many opportunities for questions, movement and engagement. Thank you so much for the funds to make such deep learning experiences take place!” – Oppenheimer Elementary