What to Expect / How to Prepare
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.
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.
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.
Recording
Recording of the program is not permitted at any time.
Booking Checklist
Please be prepared with the following information to make your booking:
- Program name
- 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
Fees and 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
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.
Cancellation and 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).
