Teacher Professional Development
Come learn with us in the Garden! The VBGA is pleased to welcome educators & teachers to our online and in-person Teacher Professional Development workshops at the VanDusen Botanical Garden.
Throughout the academic year we strive to offer engaging educational courses to help develop your gardening and botany skills, deepen your local ecology knowledge, and inspire you to step outside and explore with your students in the great outdoors. Teacher Pro-D is generously subsidized by the Vancouver Master Gardeners.
Find the perfect fit for you and your teaching team.
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+-April 24, 9.30am - 2.30pm: Native Plants of BC's South Coast (IN PERSON)
Join us in the Garden on Monday, April 24th for an in-person professional development day!
VanDusen education staff will introduce the basics of native plant species identification, featuring iconic plants of the southern BC coast, and the intricate roles they play in the local ecosystem. Learn key characteristics of the most common trees, shrubs and forbs, and handy tips and tricks to recognize species seen around Metro Vancouver in both urban and wild areas, including the neighbourhood around your school.
This full-day program includes both a morning and afternoon workshop, with an hour lunch in between (lunch is not provided).
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+-April 24, 9.30am - 12.00pm: Introduction to Nature Journaling (IN PERSON)
Join Bea Martin at VanDusen Botanical Garden for this fun and interactive skill-building workshop, where participants will learn how to bring nature journaling to their classrooms. In a friendly, welcoming, and supportive environment, participants will learn and practice easy activities and exercises, drawing fundamentals, explore a variety of low-cost art materials, and how to apply them to drawing outdoors with their students, using pictures, words, and numbers. Curricular tie-ins abound!
You do not need to be an artist to bring nature journaling to your classroom or keep a nature journal. All you need is a pencil and a sketchbook… and curiosity! We will spend time indoors and outdoors, weather permitting.
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+-FREE! The Garden Classroom Series (K-7) 2022 - 2023
This online 10-part series with Megan Zeni will support K-7 elementary teachers eager to explore opportunities for teaching across the curriculum in their Westcoast school garden.
Each month we will review timely tasks that help keep gardens growing, as well as specific curricular connections, and practical management tips for teaching outdoors. Seasonal resources will be shared, and participants are encouraged to share their own success stories and challenges to broaden our collective expertise.
Registration is free this year and offered explicitly to a limited number of practicing K-7 school teachers. Please identify your school location and teaching role in the registration process.
Made possible through funding from the Vancouver Master Gardeners.
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+-Free courses for K-12 teachers
If you are a K – Grade 12 teacher, you may be eligible for free Botany, Ecology or Gardening classes to aid in your classroom teaching or development of a school garden. Check out our course offerings under Adult Education – Botany & Ecology or Gardening & Design, then please complete this Request Form, and send to apineda@vandusen.org to register.
Sponsored by the Vancouver Master Gardeners.