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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

All school programs must be booked a minimum of 2 weeks in advance of your requested date.

For the 2025–2026 school year, our school programs are available on Wednesdays through Fridays at 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Bookings for January 14–June 19, 2026 are now open!

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.

In addition to English, we offer educational programs for Chinese language learners — the only museum in the province to do so. Take your class on a guided tour or school program in Cantonese or Mandarin, with accompanying printed activities available in Traditional or Simplified Chinese.

Our school programs are adaptable to various grade ranges to meet different reading comprehension levels and curricular needs of students.

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

Current School Programs

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Trailblazers & Guardians: Stories That Shaped Chinese Canadian History

LEARN MORE

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.

Recommended Grades: 5-10 BC Curricular Connections: Social Studies

Program Length: 90 minutes Availability: Wednesdays to Fridays | 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Fees per class: $250+GST

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Behind the Beat:
“Dream Factory: Cantopop Mandopop 1980s-2000”

LEARN MORE

Step into the golden age of Cantopop and Mandopop! Discover the music, fashion, and fandom that defined a generation and explore the transpacific currents between Asia and Chinese Canadian communities that gave rise to a cultural phenomenon. In this program, students will examine the lyrics and cultural significance of iconic Cantopop songs, as well as take part in an art activity that explores identity through pop culture.

Recommended Grades: 3-8 BC Curricular Connections: Social Studies, Arts Education

Program Length: 90 minutes Availability: Wednesdays to Fridays | 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Fees per class: $250+GST

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Private Guided School Tour

LEARN MORE

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.

Recommended Grades: K-12, post-secondary BC Curricular Connections: Social Studies, History, Canadian Studies

Program Length: 60 minutes Availability: Wednesdays to Fridays | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Fees per class: $200+GST

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Everlasting Legacies: The Wing Sang Building (Chinese Immersion)

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Learn about the importance of the historic Wing Sang Building (est. 1889) within the Chinese Canadian community through the lives of its original owner – the Yip family. Step into their recreated 1930s living room and the 1914 Vancouver Chinese Independent School to learn about history through a series of immersive activities.

Recommended Grades: 6-12 (beginner-intermediate Mandarin/Cantonese language fluency) BC Curricular Connections: Languages (Mandarin), Social Studies

Program Length: 90 minutes Availability: Wednesdays to Fridays | 10 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. Fees per class: $250+GST

Booking Policies

Booking

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. Programs and tours are priced at a flat rate per class for a maximum of 30 students and 6 adult chaperones. Only one class may be booked at a time for each program.

Adult Chaperones

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. Grades K-7 require 1 adult chaperone per 7 students; grades 8 and up require 1 adult chaperone per 15 students.

Late Arrivals

Please plan to arrive 10 minutes prior to your booking time so that your program is able to begin on time. 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.

Payment & Cancellation Policies

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 payment by credit card or cheque — 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.

Cancellations & Refunds

If you are no longer able to make your scheduled visit, we can offer a refund provided that the cancellation is made at least one week in advance of 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 for any other reasons due to staffing constraints. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.

FAQs

Is there a space for my students to have lunch at the museum?

Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to accommodate dining in our facilities. We encourage classes to eat before arrival or use this opportunity to check out some of the delicious dining options in the Chinatown neighbourhood!

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!

Do you accept payment on arrival?

We are only able to accept payment by cheque upon arrival with advance notice. We require all other bookings to be paid in full by credit card at least one week prior to your visit date.

Is there a place where we can store our belongings?

Yes, there is coat and bag storage available for your group to store their belongings. We do not allow large bags in our galleries.

What do we do if we’re running late?

Please let us know if your group is going to be late as soon as you can! Call our front desk at 604.262.0990 or email education@chinesecanadianmuseum.ca. Please understand that we are unable to extend your booking time to accommodate for lost time due to late arrivals, as this impacts our museum schedule and staffing.

I’ve just arrived at the museum with my group! What should I do?

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.

Can I bring a wheelchair into the galleries?

Yes, our entrance and hallways are wheelchair-friendly and we have elevator access on all floors of the museum. Please let us know in advance if you will be requiring accessibility accommodations for your visit so we can make your experience the best it can be!

I’m an educator looking to bring my class to the museum. Can I preview the exhibitions before my visit?

Yes, our entrance and hallways are wheelchair-friendly and we have elevator access on all floors of the museum. Please let us know in advance if you will be requiring accessibility accommodations for your visit so we can make your experience the best it can be!

How many classes are you able to accommodate at once?

We can accommodate one class (up to 30 students) for a school program at a time. For multiple classes, we recommend coordinating with other Chinatown organizations to create a rotation schedule, which we would be happy to assist you with (see next FAQ).

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 email education@chinesecanadianmuseum.ca or 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.

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.

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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