VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
Join our animal care and education team for an opportunity to Get Closer to our animals from the comfort of your learning space. Suitable for classrooms, non-school groups, home school groups, community groups and more. Let us bring conservation, education and adventure to you!
Explore the Edmonton Valley Zoo from the comfort of your own classroom! Tailored to meet the Alberta curriculum and its applicable age groups, but flexible for any viewer, these interactive programs highlight some species not always seen during on-site programs and often exhibit behind-the-scenes highlights. After the video concludes, join a member of the zoo education team for an interactive Q&A session.
Wetland Wonders
Dive into the heart of wetlands and explore the vital role those ecosystems play in preserving biodiversity, and witness our passionate conservation efforts to save Rocky Mountain Northern Leopard Frogs from extinction. The video is a delightful blend of education and entertainment, featuring enchanting footage and highlighting the urgent world of wetland conservation. After the credits, join a live Q&A session with a member of our dynamic education team to deepen your understanding and become a champion for wetland conservation. Don’t miss this opportunity for a fun, informative, and interactive experience that will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the magic of wetlands!
Video Length: 24 min + Q&A
Target Audience: Upper Elementary
Curriculum Links: Wetland ecosystems; interactions & ecosystems; endangered species & conservation; relationships between animals and humans.
Fee: $90
Food Chains and Foragers
Discover all there is to see through a captivating exploration of movement for a number of small crawling and flying animals that call the zoo home! From the aerial acrobatics of bats to the steady, rhythmic movements of hedgehogs and armadillos, discover the secret lives of these small wonders and their vital roles in their ecosystem’s food chain. Stay tuned afterward for a live Q&A session with our expert education team, where you can unravel the mysteries of these mini marvels. Join us for an enchanting journey blending education with entertainment for a front-row experience to nature’s tiniest and most charismatic performers!
Video Length: 29 min + Q&A
Target Audience: Lower Elementary
Curriculum Links: Food chains in various ecosystems; classifying animals within food chains; small crawling & flying animals; animal movement.
Fee: $90
Tiger Tales: Ecosystems & Interactions
Embark on a virtual safari like no other as you immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Amur tigers! Together we’ll explore the importance of species interactions and ecosystems as this captivating video delves into the lives of these critically endangered big cats and highlights the ripple effect of human impact on their wild habitats. Marvel at the tigers’ majestic presence as they take center stage as charismatic ambassadors at the zoo. From their playful antics to the crucial role they play in ecosystem balance, followed by the purr-fect encore – a live Q&A session with a member of our passionate education team.
Video Length: 26 min + Q&A
Target Audience: Junior High/Upper Elementary
Curriculum Links: Interactions & Ecosystems; endangered species.
Fee: $90
Seasonal Secrets of Canadian Carnivores
Embark on an immersive virtual journey that delves into the world of Arctic wolves, North American river otters, snowy owls and more as we shed light on the adaptations that enable these magnificent creatures to navigate the ever-changing seasons. Learn about their shifts in behavior, from strategic migrations to the art of hibernation. Following the video, engage in a live Q&A session with a member of our education team, where you can deepen your understanding and satisfy your curiosity about these remarkable animals. Join us for an educational odyssey that brings the wonders of Canadian wildlife directly to your screen.
Video Length: 29 min + Q&A
Target Audience: Lower Elementary
Curriculum Links: Seasonal changes; winter animal adaptations.
Fee: $90
Basic Needs of Aquatic Species
Virtually dive into the arctic waters with our seals! Guided by a zoo host, your classroom will be virtually toured around the Arctic Shores exhibit of the Edmonton Valley Zoo. Learn about what is required to take care of an aquatic species, peek behind the scenes where the public doesn’t get to visit and learn all about seal adaptations to assist with their survival in arctic waters. Afterwards, a live Q&A will take place with a member of the zoo’s education team to discuss what you just learned.
Video Length: 32 min + Q&A
Target Audience: Lower Elementary
Curriculum Links: Basic needs of plants & animals, human & animal interactions, how to care for animals, animal adaptations.
Fee: $90
NEW VIDEOS COMING SOON!
Keep checking back, as we’ll be adding five, exciting new videos to our Virtual Series!
STEP 2: BOOK YOUR PROGRAM
Due to the popularity of our programs, we do require a minimum of 1 month advance notice for reservation requests and all applications will be processed in the order received. Upon completion of this form, we will contact you to go over details and availability before the reservation is confirmed.
Please be prepared with the following information to make your booking:
* Program Name (Virtual Zoo Experience)
* 2-3 potential program dates
* School mailing address, including postal code
* School telephone and fax number
* Contact name and names of teachers for all classes being booked
* Email address(es) of teacher(s) booking and attending the program
* Number of children attending
* Special needs / accessibility arrangements
STEP 3: WATCH YOUR VIDEO
Meeting Invitation
The interpreter assigned to lead your program will contact the individual who booked the program at least 3 days prior to your field trip, to confirm details with you and provide the meeting link/invitation. The interpreter will contact you by email. If you haven’t heard from them, please check your spam folder.
Video Playback – Program Structure
Tours will be on a zoo-hosted platform (Google Meet or Microsoft Teams), participants will be contacted in advance and sent the invitation to access the program.
When you join the video call, we will be presenting a “Starting Soon” screen, which is playing a video. This is a good time to confirm your volume settings for the video.
We will communicate with you in the beginning through the “Chat” section of the meeting. Please be able to write a reply to us, just in case microphone communication isn’t reliable so we can still have a conservation. We will say hello and ask for you to confirm when you are ready to go. We will wait until the booked starting time to begin the video if we don’t hear anything from you.
At the start time of the program, the video will be started by the zoo and will play in full. There will be at least one intermission during the video to be used as a chance for teachers to get participants up, moving and refocused and/or lead a discussion based on the video topic. You will let us know in the chat or through your microphone when you are ready to return to the video. Recording of the program is not permitted at any time.
Required Equipment to Participate
- Access to Google Meet or Microsoft Teams
- A strong internet connection
- Projector and/or computer with speakers
- Ability to type questions or speak into a microphone
- Optional: pencils & paper for participants to write down questions throughout the video
Intermissions
Our videos all include 1-2 guided intermissions, where we pause the video and encourage teacher-lead discussion. This is to provide an opportunity for students to stand up and stretch, as well as provide some conversation around the program curriculum theme. Teachers will let our team know when students are ready to un-pause the video and continue.
Group Size
In order to support a positive learning experience, we recommend the following group sizes:
- A maximum number of children participants of 30, or a standard classroom size. Groups exceeding 30-33 children should book an additional program.
- A maximum number of individuals (adult supervisors and children) participants of 40. Groups exceeding 40 individuals in total should book an additional program to ensure the best programming experience.
To ensure a high quality program for everyone, we recommend that all children participating in a virtual program be approximately the same age range.
We recommend the usual amount of adult supervision required in a standard classroom to assist younger audiences with focus and attention.
While we do not require a specific amount of adult supervisors, we recommend the following ratios as a guideline:
- Preschool: 1 adult per 3 children
- K – Grade 6: 1 adult per 5 children
- Grades 7 – 12: 1 adult per 10 children
** IMPORTANT: At least one adult is required to remain with the group to facilitate intermission conversation and movement breaks, as well as support the chat/microphone usage during the question and answer session.
STEP 4: THE FAQ SESSION
After the video has finished, a zoo educator will join you on camera for a live, interactive question and answer (Q&A) discussion with participants – lead by your group! Once the group is out of questions, the program will be over and the virtual call will end.
Cancellation & Rescheduling
You are required to submit written notice of cancellation or rescheduling of program(s) via email to artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca.
We ask that you please test your equipment (speakers, microphone, projector/computer) prior to your program start. In the event of your technology not working, you must email artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca to alert staff. Programs cancelled or rescheduled due to technical difficulties outside of either party’s control will not be charged a cancellation fee as long as they are rescheduled within the current or upcoming school year fall term (September – November).
FEES & PAYMENT
The amount owing is shown on your program confirmation. Payment is required prior to the program. Invoices are sent out on the first of each month. You will receive your invoice in the same month as your program runs. For example: for a May booking, you will be issued your invoice on May 1. Payment can be made by cheque, Visa, MasterCard, or American Express. Please make cheques payable to The City of Edmonton and write your booking confirmation numbers on your cheques.
Credit card payment can be made over the phone by calling 311 (outside of Edmonton: 780-442-5311).
Mail cheques to:
Citizen Services Payment Processing
PO Box 2359
19th Floor, Edmonton Tower
Edmonton AB, T5J 2R7
FaqS
Do you have questions about our school and group programs? Here are some of the most frequently asked questions we receive. If the answer to your question isn’t listed here, please refer to the for additional information.
Additionally, you can contact the school and group bookings office by emailing artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca, and we will be happy to answer your questions!
We're having technical issues - what do we do?
If you’ll be late to your program because of technical issues, please email artsattractionsbookings@edmonton.ca and let them know. Include “URGENT” in the subject line. They’ll inform our Education team and we can troubleshoot the issues together, likely over the phone.
Severe delays may result in rescheduling your program.
Programs cancelled or rescheduled due to technical difficulties outside of either party’s control will not be charged a cancellation fee as long as they are rescheduled within the current or upcoming school year fall term (September – November).
Can Multiple Classes Sit Together ?
The best viewing experience occurs when only one classroom participates at a time, so approximately 35-40 people including any teachers and/or adult supervisors.
This also allows for a more interactive and engaging discussion with our team during the question and answer conversation after the video.
What is the maximun time for the Q&A section?
The program price covers 60 minutes of total programming time, including question and answer portion, the video itself and the intermissions within the video. The amount of time spent will vary between groups, depending on how long the intermissions are and how many questions the group has for our team. However, the call will end after 60 minutes.
Are there refocus breaks in the videos?
Each video, depending on the target audience, has 1-2 intermissions where we pause the video to give the teacher(s) in the classroom a chance to lead the students in an activity, stretch, move a little and refocus. During these intermissions, teachers are also given a discussion question relating to the theme of the program for facilitated discussion. Once ready, we resume the video.
We understand that some younger children still may not be able to watch the whole video. If that happens, let our team know in the chat feature of the meeting and we can end the video and begin the Question & Answer session early.
Do the videos have captions or accessability accomodations?
Unfortunately at this time our videos do not have captions or accessibility alternatives. All the videos are offered in English. Larger vocabulary mentioned within the video is typically paired with text pop-ups on the screen. If translation services are required, you’ll need to provide them on your end in your learning space.
Do you have VIDEO worksheets to fill out?
Not at this time, but we are developing a question sheet to supplement each video should teachers want to include them.
Will we see other sections of the zoo or other animals during the program?
No, our virtual programs are pre-recorded videos designed to highlight a particular species or set of animals at the zoo. Each program theme focuses on only those animals, and the live question and answer portion will happen with a zoo education employee from a classroom space within the zoo.
HELP BUILD OUR ZOO!
It is through today’s zoos that future generations will come to a greater understanding of the human impact on the natural world and be motivated to preserve it and reverse the damage already done. Every donation, big or small, helps us revitalize our beloved Edmonton Valley Zoo! Thank you for caring for the animals, our children’s future and the planet!