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(K-3) Prior to European colonization, Indigenous peoples got what they needed from the land and water around them. Indigenous people have relied on salmon since the fish became abundant in the Fraser River about 5000-6000 years ago. They used native plants for food, medicine, building materials and more. This program explores the connection between Indigenous people, salmon, and the broader Fraser River Basin. Students experience the movement of salmon, storytelling and oral histories, and the many uses of native plants through an Indigenous perspective.

This program is divided into:

• Introduction to program, centre and rules Outside (5 minutes)
• Read aloud P'ésk'a and the First Salmon Ceremony (20 minutes)
• Stations (20 minutes each)
  • Salmon Life Cycle and Migration (An acting game where students envision themselves as migrating salmon)
  • Build a Plant (Understand traditional Indigenous uses for local plants, and invent a possible new plant)
• Film (Salmon origin traditional Indigenous oral stories) (20 minutes)
• Conclusion (5 minutes)

For more information, visit our website or email us. 

Online booking form here. 

Salmon, squirrels, ravens, and raccoons are just some of the tails you might find in the forest. And people have been telling tales to teach about those tails for thousands of years. What tales will you discover?

Want to enjoy the bounty of a productive urban farm day without worrying about planning and planting months in advance? Come join us for the best part of the season... eating delicious, fresh, local produce! Tour the farm and explore what’s currently growing while learning about our organic, low-till practices. Students will find themselves helping out with each step of the process: harvesting, washing, and preparing a salad for everyone to enjoy. We’ll also make a delicious dressing by hand (with honey from our bees!) to complement the meal we share together at the tour’s conclusion.

The Vancouver Writers Fest is one of the largest, and most prestigious literary festivals in North America. The 2020 Festival takes place ONLINE from October 19-25, 2020. In addition to the programming we offer adults, we also hold events specifically for K-12 students.

Through our youth educational outreach programs, we offer students the opportunity to interact with celebrated writers from across the globe in designed specifically for young people, teachers, schools and student groups. Each year, we reach more than 7,000 students across British Columbia—in the classroom or at the Festival.

This year our youth education outreach programming will include:

10+ weekday Festival virtual events featuring presentations and discussions with engaging authors from Canada and around the world, programmed with BC curriculum goals in mind. Some of the authors particpating in the Festival this year are Kenneth Oppel, Oliver Jeffers, Steven Heighton, Jess Keating, Christy Jordan-Fenton, David A. Robertson, and many more!

All our events are pay what you can this year.

Writers in the Classroom: 10+ events where writers meet students for reading, writing and/or drawing workshops on Microsoft Teams or Zoom. 

The Grouse Mountain Refuge for Endangered Wildlife offers programs that make learning about nature fun and fascinating! Our programs align with the BC Curriculum for science, social studies, and physical education, and our experienced educators teach outside in the natural beautiful setting of Grouse Mountain.

Wildlife Education: Pick from a range of interactive curriculum-focused activities and build an unforgettable field trip for your students. Duration: Full or Half Day

Hiwus Feasthouse Cultural Program: Step into an authentic Pacific Northwest Longhouse and let Kwel-a-a-nexw, our Squamish First nations elder, take you back in time to discover the traditional way of life of our First Nations people. Duration: Full Day.

Peak of Christmas: (December) Engage your students in the magic of the holidays: visit live reindeer, discover snow-fleas, take a scavenger hunt, play in the snow and more. Duration: Full or Half Day

Visit our PureClean initiatives.

September 15, 2025-June 25, 2026

Referencing works from the City's Permanent Art Collection, participants explore the progression of themes and techniques in contemporary Coast Salish art. Discussions on appropriation and use of copyrighted work will be discussed within this program. Students will finish the workshop by creating their own collagraph print.

Curriculum Tie-ins: Indigenous Art, Community, Art Education

Students follow the lives of three children that attended Cloverdale Elementary for a whole school year (1910-1911). From the exciting arrival of the first BC Electric Railway train to the Surrey Agricultural Fair, students discover what life was like in Surrey’s old city center more than a hundred years ago. The Edukit tells the story of Nathaniel Hunter, Ruth Isabel White, Cecil Heppell and their families, and includes storybook, touchable artifacts, comprehensive teachers’ notes and suggested extension activities. Three week loan/ $53.00