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For Schools and Teachers

Looking to bring your class to the museum?

The museum offers a variety of on-site educational programs to enhance your class’s learning experience and knowledge of Chinese Canadian history, heritage, and culture.

BOOK a school program

Discover Our Programs

Educational programs at the Chinese Canadian Museum are designed to complement the B.C. provincial curriculum for K-12, as well as post-secondary learning. Each program is led by a trained museum educator and includes engaging activities for each student to supplement hands-on learning.

For the 2026–2027 school year, our school programs are available on Wednesdays through Fridays at 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Bookings for September 16–December 18, 2026 are now open!

For all school related inquiries, email education@chinesecanadianmuseum.ca.

Our school programs are generously supported by:

David and Dorothy Lam Foundation, Community Legacy & Learning Initiative Partner

Guided Programs

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Trailblazers & Guardians: Stories That Shaped Chinese Canadian History

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Uncover the legacies of pioneers, veterans, and advocates who forged a path from exclusion to recognition within our A Soldier for All Seasons and Period Rooms exhibitions. In this program, students will get hands-on experience analyzing primary source documents relating to the Chinese head tax and Exclusion Act to understand past discriminatory policies and immigration history, as well as gain insights into Chinese Canadian identities through place-based learning.

Grades: 5-10 | 90 minutes

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Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form

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Journey across Asia through the visual storytelling of comics. See how Asian comics have influenced cinema, animation, fashion, visual art, music, and video games, and learn about the pivotal historical moments and fantastical folklore behind this beloved art form.

Grades: 7-12 | 90 minutes (available October 21)

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A Day with the Yips

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Travel back to the 1930s and spend a day with the Yip family, a prominent Chinese Canadian family and early residents of the Wing Sang Building. Step into recreated living and school rooms and discover how members of the family lived, learned, and spent their days through a series of immersive, hands-on activities.

Grades: K-4 | 60 minutes

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Private Guided School Tour

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Discover the key stories that shape Chinese Canadian history—past and present—through a guided highlights tour of the museum’s current exhibitions. From early migration and community-building to contemporary culture and identity, this tour offers a rich overview of the experiences that define Chinese Canadian lives. Our private school tours can be adapted to fit the learning outcomes of your class – just note your special requests in our booking form.

Grades: 9-12 & post-secondary | 60 minutes

Add-On Programs

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Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions

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Explore the traditions and customs of the Mid-Autumn Festival, from sharing mooncakes and gathering for family reunion dinners to lantern walks and gazing at the full moon. Through the timeless legend of Chang’e, they will uncover the stories and symbolism behind the festival and its beloved treat. Each student will craft their own play-dough mooncakes using a variety of mooncake moulds to take home as a special keepsake.

Grades: K-6 | 45 minutes

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One of Ours

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Among the very first Chinese to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF) of the First World War, Frederick Lee was one of very few Canadians of Chinese descent who served. Follow along as director Jack Gin recounts the journey to reconstruct Fred Lee’s life, travelling across Canada to France to present a moving tribute to a once forgotten soldier in this documentary.

Pair this add-on film screening with a tour of A Soldier for All Seasons to learn more about Chinese Canadian contributions in the First and Second World Wars.

Grades: 5-12 | 45 minutes

This program is supported by the Jack and Sylvia Gin Foundation

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Chinese New Year Celebrations

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Discover the colourful ways Chinese New Year is celebrated, from exchanging red envelopes (hongbao 紅包) and putting up lucky red decorations to attending parades with lion and dragon dances. Learn about how loved ones come together over festive meals during this special time and how particular traditional dishes symbolize luck, wealth, and abundance in Chinese culture. Get creative by crafting your own lucky traditional decoration (fai chun 揮春) to get ready for the next Chinese New Year! To wrap up the fun, you’ll learn a few basic Chinese New Year greetings and phrases.

Grades: K-6 | 45 minutes

Booking Information

Requesting a Visit

All facilitated school programs and private guided school tours must be booked a minimum of 2 weeks in advance of your requested date through our booking request form. Please check program availability on our calendar under the Availability tab prior to submitting a booking request. Once we receive the booking request, our staff will be in touch directly via email to take payment and confirm your booking.

Program Availability

We offer school programs on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 A.M. or 12:30 P.M. Please understand that we have limited availability to accommodate school groups outside of these days. Add-on programs must be booked in conjunction with one a 90-minute facilitated program or 60-minute private guided tour.

Group Size

Due to space constraints in some of our smaller galleries, we assign one facilitator per 15 students and can only accommodate a maximum of 30 students in the museum at any given time. Our programs and tours are priced at a flat rate per class for a maximum of 15 students (small class) or 30 students (large class) to account for staff scheduling and space contraints. Only one large class (30 students) or two small classes (15 students each) may be booked at a time for each program. For multiple large classes looking to visit on the same day, we recommend making a day out to Chinatown and visiting other organizations in the neighbourhood — we are happy to assist with coordinating a rotation schedule!

Payment

All school program bookings must be paid in full at least 1 week before your visit to confirm attendance. After submission of your booking form, our staff will review your request within 3-5 business days and the contact listed on the form will receive an email from education@chinesecanadianmuseum.ca with an invoice payment link. Please note that we can only accept advance payment by credit card or cheque on arrival — please inform us if you intend to pay for your booking by cheque. We will send a formal booking confirmation once payment has been received.

Supervision

Adult chaperones are required to accompany school programs and private guided school tours. Up to 6 adult chaperones aged 18+ (including teachers) are included in the group booking rate at no additional cost; any additional chaperones will be charged the regular adult admission rate. The minimum number of adult chaperones required varies by grade. We require 1 adult chaperone for every 7 elementary students and 1 adult chaperone for every 15 secondary students.

Arrival

Please plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to your booking time so that your program is able to begin on time. Our education facilitators should be present when you arrive to welcome the group and lead you into the museum. In the event that we are running late from another school program, let the front desk know your name and that you are here for a field trip. There is coat and bag storage available for your group to store their belongings. We do not allow large bags in our galleries.

We are unable to extend your booking time due to late arrival. Please call our front desk 604.262.0990 or email education@chinesecanadianmuseum.ca if you anticipate any delays in arriving on time to your scheduled booking.

School Bus Parking

School buses can temporarily park and unload in the loading zone in front of the museum. Free, 2-hour bus parking is located on Keefer Street, just behind the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

For all other transit information to the museum, please see our Getting Here page.

Lunch & Water

The museum is unable to provide lunch spaces for school groups. We encourage classes to eat before arrival or use this opportunity to check out some of the delicious dining options in the Chinatown neighbourhood! Nearby options that can accommodate large groups include the International Village Mall food court (6-min walk) and the Sun Yat-Sen Park (2-min walk).

Please also note that we do not have any water fountains on our premises. We ask that students come prepared with their own water bottles when visiting the museum.

Accessibility

The museum includes full elevator access, barrier-free washrooms, and accessible pathways. Please see our Accessibility page for further details.

Cancellations & Refunds

Full refunds are available for cancellations made at least 1 week prior to your booking date. Refunds will also be issued if the museum must close unexpectedly due to unforeseen circumstances. Please note that we are unable to offer refunds with less than 1 week prior notice due to staffing and scheduling constraints. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

Pricing

Due to space constraints in some of our smaller galleries, we assign one facilitator per 15 students and can only accommodate a maximum of 30 students in the museum at any given time. Our programs and tours are priced at a flat rate per class for a maximum of 15 students (small class) or 30 students (large class) to account for staff scheduling and space constraints.

Program

Length

Small Class

Large Class

Trailblazers & Guardians: Stories That Shaped Chinese Canadian History

90 min.

$200

$300

Asian Comics: Evolution of an Art Form

90 min.

$200

$300

A Day with the Yips

60 min.

$150

$250

Private Guided Tour

60 min.

$150

$250

Mid-Autumn Festival Traditions

45 min.

$140

$240

One of Ours

45 min.

$140

$240

Chinese New Year Celebrations

45 min.

$140

$240

Availability

Please check the following calendar for our upcoming school program availability. We offer programs on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 A.M. or 12:30 P.M. Please understand that we have limited availability to accommodate school groups outside of these days.

VIEW CALENDAR

FAQs

I’m an educator looking to bring my class to the museum. Do you offer professional development workshops for teachers?

We offer both public and private professional development workshops throughout the year for educators to learn about our school programs. For public pro-d days, we typically offer workshops in October and February – check out our Programs & Events page periodically to see upcoming offerings! If your school would like to book a private pro-d day with us, please email us to discuss options.

For educators who have booked a program at the museum, we also invite you to visit our exhibitions free of charge prior to your visit. Please understand that we do not allow program previews without a school booking at this time, however.

Do you offer any virtual school programs?

Currently, we only offer virtual school programs as part of the Connected North network. Please visit https://www.connectednorth.org/en to learn more.

My class is only able to visit on Monday or Tuesday. Can we still book a program?

As the museum is closed to the public on Monday and Tuesday, we have limited availability to accommodate school groups on these days. For classes unable to visit during our usual school program availability on Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday, we may be able to accommodate a limited number of groups on a case-by-case basis. Please email us to inquire.

We’re having trouble deciding which Chinatown cultural organization to bring our class to! Do you ever partner with other Chinatown organizations for school programs?

Yes, we love when teachers bring their classes to spend the day in Chinatown! We are excited to offer a 10% discount for classes that visit both us, the Chinatown Storytelling Centre, and/or the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Please indicate on your school program booking form that you’re planning to visit multiple organizations on the same day, and we will get in touch to arrange the details of your visits.

I’d love to bring my class to visit, but I’m not sure we can afford it.

Please get in touch with our team via email, as we may have funds available for schools needing financial assistance. For Vancouver-based schools, we also recommend checking out the Vancouver Heritage Foundation’s Heritage in Schools Program and applying for a field trip grant.

Is there a private room my class can rent for additional teacher-led activities?

Unfortunately, no. At this time, we do not have the space to dedicate to private educational offerings, though we’re working on creating one in the future!

Lesson Plans

Enrich your visit with pre and post visit lesson plans you can use in your class! Lesson plans include learning resources and activities specially designed to build on and provide deeper context on the themes explored in our in-person programs. These lesson plans were developed in partnership with The Initiative for Student Teaching and Research in Chinese Canadian Studies (INSTRCC) at the University of British Columbia.

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