Resources
Fraser Valley Student Art Competition
This year we are excited to invite current Secondary students from the Fraser Valley (Abbotsford, Mission, Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Chilliwack, and Fraser Cascade school districts) to submit their artwork for exhibition at the Reach! Submissions will be juried by professional artists and curators, with an exhibition of selected student artworks April – May. Students are asked to create an artwork on the theme:Personal Identity
Artworks responding to this theme could be representations of self, family, ancestors, personal interests, or family cultural practices. Selected artworks will be eligible for prizes totaling $500! Email programs@thereach.ca for more information.
Project Submissions DUE MARCH 8, 2025
Personal & Cultural Identity Projects
During April & May, student projects will be on display in the gallery! Students are asked to develop personal identity presentations on the themes:“What are my family origin stories?” or “How does my culture show up in my life?”
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to exhibit student work at The Reach! Students may use the platform Book Creator for their projects. Projects will be included in an interactive kiosk in the Grotto Gallery, and can simultaneously be registered for inclusion in the BC Heritage Fair!
Teachers can make use of Curriculum Helping Teachers to support the generation of identity texts. Collateral resources available to teachers outline the Big Ideas and Core Competencies for this special assignment, which focuses on positive personal and cultural identity and has been developed in partnership with District Curriculum Administrators. Email programs@thereach.ca for more information.
Project Submissions DUE MARCH 8, 2025
EduKits
Bring arts and culture to life at home with our EduKits!Each new exhibition season, we offer free kits (while supplies last) with easy-to-follow instructions and all the materials you’ll need to create fun and educational art projects.
Weaving with Intention
Our current EduKit is inspired by exhibiting artist Farheen Haq, and invites personal reflection on the people, animals and places that give us strength.
This activity is great fun for all ages, though children under 10 may require assistance with some pieces. The weaving kit includes information on the process, instructions, art materials, and fun facts! Pick up a free EduKit at The Reach, or order in bulk at $1 each for your class through the link below.
Attention Educators: EduKits are developed to address many of the learning goals represented in the “Big Ideas” and Core Competencies in BC’s curriculum, and offer an easily administered, complete lesson for K-12. Our EduKit complements learning goals in Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Arts Education.
Skwó:wech (Sturgeon) Plush Toy Kit
$10/kit
Recommended for Kindergarten to Grade 5
This kit contains how-to instructions and all the materials your students will need to create their own plush toy sturgeon inspired by the children’s exhibition Semá:th Xó:tsa: Sts’ólemeqwelh Sx̱ó:tsa (Sumas Lake: Great Gramma’s Lake). You can order this EduKit by emailing programs@thereach.ca
For Curricular Competencies related to this EduKit:
Grand Theft Terra Firma Online
Grand Theft Terra Firma reframes the settlement of Stó:lō Téméxw (now known as the Fraser Valley) as a complex heist conducted by a “gang of greedy thieves.”Combining a deep dive into local historical research with photography, creative text, and video vignettes, the website unfolds as an imaginary gaming guide, complete with a cast of characters, missions, power objects necessary for gaming success, and screen shots that share key moments in game play. The twist, however, lies in the moral implications of the game’s goals: visitors to the website are asked to step into the villains’ shoes to colonize the land.
The site features an Educator’s Guide that supports the implementation of Indigenous content and pedagogies in the classroom.
This unique website deftly blends art and history to unsettle everything you think you know about Canadian history.
Semá:th Xó:tsa: Sts’ólemeqwelh Sx̱ó:tsa / Great Gramma’s Lake
About the bookFor millennia, a vast lake existed between Sumas and Vedder mountains in the unceded territory of the Stó:lō people, in what is now known as the Fraser Valley. Teeming with ecological abundance, Semá:th Xó:tsa (Sumas Lake, pronounced seMATH hOTsa) was central to cultural, spiritual, and physical wellbeing of the Séma:th people (Sumas First Nation) and surrounding Indigenous communities. Between 1919 and 1924, settlers in the region lobbied government to drain the lake, thereby enhancing the agricultural capacity of the region.
The collaborative book recalls a time when the lake was thriving, using memory and story to allow the lake to live on today. The project is illustrated by Carrielynn Victor and co-authored by Chris Silver, Carrielynn Victor, Kris Foulds, and Laura Schneider.
Copies of the book can be purchased for $12 from The Reach.
To read the book online:
Read along with our video
The children’s book Semá:th X̱ó:tsa: Sts’ólemeqwelh Sx̱ó:tsa/Great-Gramma’s Lake contains several Halq’eméylem words. Practice your Halq’eméylem pronunciation with Lumlamelut Laura Wee Lay Laq with this video.
Des Pardes Educator Resources
Material Culture Kit
Bring the local South Asian Canadian experience to your classroom with the Des Pardes Material Culture Kit! Through historical photographs, cultural objects, artwork reproductions and artifacts of daily living, South Asian students can find familiar items to share with their peers and other students can learn about new cultural traditions. Our easy-to-follow classroom guide presents a photograph of each object included in the kit, a written introduction to the item, and questions that encourage discussion for classroom engagement. Conveniently packaged in a vintage suitcase, the Material Culture Kit is free to reserve and will be delivered to participating schools for three weeks, to allow multiple classes to access the resource. Email programs@thereach.ca to reserve the Material Culture Kit for your school.
Digital Access To Heritage
The Digital Access to Heritage Guide brings Des Pardes digital content into classrooms using a framework of short videos and discussion questions to explore universal themes and increase cultural literacy.This free resource provides you with private links to video content featured in our exhibition, followed by discussion questions to deepen student learning.
Each three to five minute video is a compilation of interviews by South Asian Canadian community members on universal themes such as Family, Migration, Contemporary Culture, and more! This guide can be utilized on its own or as preparation for an in-person field trip to the Reach. Email programs@thereach.ca to receive a digital copy for your class.
