Virtual Classroom sessions provide students with an opportunity to learn about the Legislative Assembly in a fun and engaging way. The online session is hosted by a Parliamentary Tour Guide and includes lots of fun stories and many interesting photos.
Who
The program is appropriate for students in grades 3 - 12. We are also happy to present to interested community organizations and can tailor content to meet the needs of your group.
We require a minimum of 5 people to book a session. Please email us at tours@leg.bc.ca for smaller groups or homeschool students.
Availability
Sessions are offered between 9:30 am and 3:00 pm, from Monday to Thursday.
- Please note: when you open the booking calendar, you will be asked to select a general morning (9:00 - 11:00 am) or afternoon (1:00 - 2:00 pm) time for your session. You will choose a specific time for your session later in the booking process.
Length of Session
You may select either a 30 or 45 minute session.
Technical Requirements
Virtual Classroom sessions are offered via Zoom or Teams.
- Zoom is our preferred method as we have encountered issues with Teams in the past.
The program can be offered to an entire classroom or to a group of students learning remotely. Microphone and camera capabilities are preferred for students joining remotely, but are not required.
Focus of Session
You may select from the following options:
- BC Parliament 101 - a basic introduction to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the history of the Parliament Buildings. This session is catered to a fifth grade level, but can accommodate older students.
- Levels of Government - a comparison of the roles and responsibilities of the different levels of government in Canada, with an emphasis on the provincial level. This session is catered to a fifth grade level, but can accommodate older students.
- How a Bill Becomes a Law - a session that dives deeper into the legislative process which includes watching short clips of debate and an interactive mock parliament. Appropriate for all grade levels, this session is best for groups that are near the end of their unit on government or have taken a Virtual Classroom with us before.
As the topics do share some of the same content, please contact tours@leg.bc.ca if you wish to book more than one session for the same group of students. This will ensure that there is no repetition of material.
MLA Meeting
You may request that we contact your school's MLA to see if they are available to join at the conclusion of the presentation.
Plan to add an additional 15 minutes to your session if you wish to include a meeting with your school's MLA.
- Please note: MLAs have very busy schedules so we cannot guarantee their availability on the day of your session.
Confirmation
Once your session has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email with the participation link.
- Be sure to check out our Online Learning Resources page to prepare for your session.
Questions
Contact us at tours@leg.bc.ca if you have any questions.
Comments from teachers:
It was a very good experience, exceeded expectations.
My students and I really enjoyed the whole program and we wouldn't have had this opportunity without the virtual program!
The virtual tour presenter was very engaging, entertaining and knowledgeable. He really made the topic interesting for the kids and they learned a lot.
To sign up for the BCTI Gazette or update your contact information with the Parliamentary Education Office, please email us at PEO@leg.bc.ca.
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