The new BCK accessible website and newly added resources due to a City of Kingston Cultural Heritage Development Grant
July 2025
Have you seen the new, updated Beyond Classrooms Kingston (BCK) website? The volunteers and staff send a huge thank you to the City of Kingston and the Kingston & Area Association of Museums for the Cultural Heritage Development Grant we received in January 2025.
This grant allowed BCK to update all the accessibility features of our website and add over 61 new activity resources for teachers, students, parents, and the general public. BCK also added 13 videos from the BCK archives for everyone to use. Check out the Resources tab in the navigation menu to find sketching and journaling videos and tools using the BCK way and other great resources.
Beyond Classrooms Kingston Received Ontario Trillium Foundation
November 8, 2022
Beyond Classrooms Kingston recognizes funding received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation at AGM
Kingston, Ontario - Board members, community partners, volunteers and staff from Beyond Classrooms Kingston (BCK) were thrilled to recognize the $40,200 Resilient Communities Fund grant received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation during their Annual General Meeting on November 7, 2022. This grant was used to improve programming and communications within Beyond Classrooms Kingston post-pandemic. "Bringing teachers and students into community heritage contexts promotes better learning, builds new educational partnerships, and empowers ownership of local culture. Taking learning beyond classrooms allows students to look closely and reflect through sketching and journal writing enhancing their literacy, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. I am pleased that the Ontario Trillium Foundation is recognizing Beyond Classrooms Kingston and its hard work in our community,” said Ted Hsu, MPP for the Kingston and the Islands.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities across Ontario. As an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations, last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Since 2020, OTF has supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19.
Visit www.otf.ca to learn more.
Student exhibit at Museum of Health Care
After spending a week at the Museum of Health Care in the fall, St Marguerite Bourgeoys CS students in Alison Bogle’s Grade 5 class worked on creating body system models. The models will be on display from January 15 until February 4th, 2020. Visit the Museum of Health Care (an external link) at 32 George Street Kingston to see the exhibit!
Students learn how traditions impact how we build community
Students from St Francis Assisi in Grades 7-8 visited the Schools Museum with Jane Goudreau to learn about traditions of the past. Following their week, students hosted a ‘Make and Take’ lunch session where they taught their peers the skills they had learned such as quill-writing, sewing, and origami. Special thanks to Helen Cutts for coming to see us at the Museum.
Beyond Classrooms Kingston is recipient of City of 2020 Kingston Heritage Grant
On January 13th, 2020, Linda Lamoureux, BCK Board Chair, accepted an award of $51, 544.36 as part of the Kingston Heritage Fund. Thank you to the City of Kingston and the Kingston Association of Museums and Galleries for helping us to continue to promote cultural awareness and active citizenship amongst youth in our community spaces!
Local Students turn City Hall into Classroom
Gail Ows and her Grade 5 class from St Martha CS spent Local Government Week (Oct 21-25/19) at Kingston City Hall. Check out Julia McKay’s Whig article (an external link) to hear what they learned about responsible government and active citizenship.
2017-18 SCHOOL YEAR
Beyond Classrooms Expands to Napanee
Teacher Mary Beth Duchene and her Grade 3 Southview PS students participated in Beyond Classrooms’ first program week at the Lennox & Addington Museum & Archives in Napanee in May.
‘Big’ Cheque Presentation from The Works
The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro – Team Kingston recently showed off some fine community spirit, with a donation to Beyond Classrooms Kingston. The local charity was selected to be the recipient of the downtown eatery’s ‘Charity Burger’ program: one dollar from the price of each charity burger sold will go towards the cost of delivering the Beyond Classrooms program to over 250 students for this school year.
The cheque presented to Beyond Classroom’s Board Chair, Linda Lamoureux by The Work’s Makenzie, brings the total donated by Team Kingston to $1005. The Work’s generosity in supporting the Beyond Classrooms initiative, speaks well of the restaurant’s corporate citizenship culture.
The Works Gourmet Burger Bistro, the popular chain renowned for its creative burgers, got its start in Ottawa in 2001 and brought its unique dining experience to Kingston in 2011. Beyond Classrooms Kingston moves classes of elementary students and their teacher into a museum, gallery or cultural space for a full week at a time.
Canadian Geological Foundation Funds Learning at the Miller Museum
For nearly 50 years, the Canadian Geological Foundation has played a key role in sustaining geoscience education, outreach and awareness across Canada. Thanks to a $6,000 bursary from their outreach funding grant program, the cost of student participation in Beyond Classrooms Kingston’s program weeks at Queen’s University’s Miller Museum of Geology will be offset for the next four years. The bursary was awarded from the Jérôme H. Remick III Endowment Trust Fund, managed by the Canadian Geological Foundation.
In announcing the funding, Ann Blake, Beyond Classrooms Kingston’s President, commented: “We are delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious national foundation’s award, particularly given their focus on raising awareness. Thanks to the generous support of Queen’s Department of Geology and particularly the role of Miller Museum Curator Mark Badham, we have introduced over 175 elementary students to the study of geology at the university level over the past four years. It’s gratifying to see young people so excited to learn about the world beneath their feet, and inspiring to think that Kingston students may lead the way in geoscience research in the future.”
Founded by the Kingston Association of Museums, Art Galleries and Historic Sites, Beyond Classrooms Kingston is a charitable organization which moves a classroom of elementary students and their teacher into community cultural spaces for a full week. The program is funded in part by the City of Kingston’s Heritage Fund, local business sponsors, and private donors.
Beyond Classrooms Kingston returns to the Miller Museum with classes from St. Francis of Assissi and St. Martha’s Catholic Schools in March and April. Follow student exploits in geoscience with us on Facebook and Twitter. Learn more about the role of the Canadian Geological Foundation at canadiangeologicalfoundation.org
2018-2019 City of Kingston Heritage Fund Grant Presentation
Thanks in no small part to the City of Kingston’s Heritage Fund Operating Grant of $42,605.94, Beyond Classrooms will be moving students out of their classrooms in 2018-19. We’re taking applications from interested sites now! Teacher applications in April.
Students learn what it takes to be healthy
(Note: external links are included in the text below)
Ms Choquette’s media stars from Rideau Heights Public School show off their learning, in this great Learning in Limestone video. Thanks to Queen’s School of Medicine’s Simulation Lab and the Museum of Health Care for helping our students learn about technological advances in medicine.
2016-17 SCHOOL YEAR
Kingston Herald put its own spin on elementary students taking over City Hall!
We also want to send a special thanks to CKWS-TV reporters who came out to cover Beyond Classroom Kingston sessions at City Hall (Oct. 21/16), the Military Communications & Electronics Museum (Nov. 16/16), and the Agnes Etherington Art Centre (Mar. 8/17). Thank you for helping spread the word about how teachers and students are learning in our region’s museums, galleries, and community sites.
2015-16 SCHOOL YEAR
Unfortunately, the external sites have deleted the links that showcased our year.
2014-15 SCHOOL YEAR
Taking Learning out of the Classroom and into City Hall by Ann Blake – Municipal World May 2015
A Ferry Educational Experience Station 14 Kingston
Beyond Classrooms TVCogeco April 21, 2015
Education Program takes class and moves it out into the community for a week – The Whig Standard April 16, 2015
Kingston City Hall becomes class for a week – The Whig Standard February 6, 2015
Beyond Classrooms on JC Kenney’s Kingston Report – CBC Radio Ontario Morning January 22, 2015
Students master the art of learning – The Whig Standard October 9, 2014
2014 PILOT YEAR
Learning Outside the Classroom – The Whig Standard March 26, 2014