The new Virtual Classroom program provides students with an opportunity to learn about the Legislative Assembly in a fun and engaging way online. ​The presentation is hosted by one of our Parliamentary Tour Guides and includes lots of fun stories and many interesting photos of the Parliament Buildings from the time of its construction up to today. Students will learn about the key people who work in the Legislative Assembly, how a bill becomes a law, and the important symbols of the Legislative Assembly.​

​Who

The program is appropriate​ for students in grades 3 - 12​.

We require a mimimum of 5 people to book a session.

• Homeschool students - We offer a monthly session for homeschool students. Please email us at tours@leg.bc.ca for more information.
  
• Other groups - We would be happy to present to interested community groups and organizations and can tailor content to meet the needs of your group.
  

Availability

Sessions are offered between 9:30 am and 3:00 pm, from Monday to Thursday of each week. We are closed on statutory holidays.

• 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 on the booking form.

Focus of Session

You may select from the following options on the booking form:

• General - an introduction to the role of the Legislative Assembly and the work of the Members of the Legislative Assembly.

• History of the Parliament Buildings - an overview of the history of the Parliament Buildings from the time of construction up to today.

• How Parliament Works - an introduction to what happens in the Legislative Assembly and how laws are made in British Columbia.

• Online Tour - using our online Virtual Tour, the Guide will walk your group through the halls of the Parliament Buildings. Please note, this is not a 'live' walk through the building, instead the Guide uses our Virtual Tour.
  

• Levels of Government - an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the different levels of Government in Canada.
  

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 another 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.
  

Technical Requirements

Virtual Classroom sessions are offered via Zoom or Teams.  

• Please note: Zoom is our preferred method as we have encountered some 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. 

Confirmation

Once your session has been approved, you will receive a confirmation email with the participation link. 

Please share this information with your students if they will be jo​ining remotely.​​​

• Be sure to check out our Online Learning Resources​ page to prepare for your session.

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.