Virtual School Programs

Art anywhere, at school or at home! 

We invite students at home or in school to join us monthly for a live conversation with an AGO Art Educator. Sessions are 30 minutes long, with elements of wellness and art woven into the session. There is a small creative exercise for students, so they should have pencils, pens or crayons and paper at the ready.

Virtual School Programs are free of charge, thanks to the generous support of The Azrieli Foundation and the Lewitt Family Foundation. 

Virtual School Program Schedule

Join us for a live monthly conversation with an Art Educator

Toronto Zoo logo

Thursday, April 17
9:30 – 10:00 AM

AGO x Toronto Zoo

Toronto Zoo is the largest zoo in Canada. Its mission is to connect people, animals and conservation science to fight extinction. It's vision is unreservedly bold—a commitment to an ideal, and a challenge to all the Zoo’s constituents to not only save wildlife and habitats, but to build a world where they thrive.

Join us in conversation about art and animals with our colleagues from the Toronto Zoo!

Register

Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts

Thursday, May 15
9:30 – 10:00 AM

AGO x Lucas Museum of Narrative Arts

Join us to explore visual stories and their impact with educators from the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art and the AGO!

Co-founded by George Lucas and Mellody Hobson and led by director and CEO Sandra Jackson-Dumont, the Lucas Museum was designed by renowned architect Ma Yansong of MAD Architects with Stantec as executive architect and is under construction in Los Angeles’s Exposition Park. An 11-acre campus with extensive new green space designed by Studio-MLA will embrace the museum’s 300,000-square-foot building, which will feature expansive galleries, two state-of-the-art theaters, and dedicated spaces for learning and engagement, dining, retail, and events. The museum will open in 2026.

Register

MFA Boston

Thursday, June 5
9:30 – 10:00 AM

AGO x Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Join educators from the AGO and MFA Boston to understand how artists have used visual media as a source of inspiration, creativity and wonder!

The MFA is open. Open to new ideas that broaden our perspectives. Open to every visitor, from the curious to the lifelong learner. Open to new possibilities discovered through art. Showcasing ancient artistry and modern masterpieces, local legends and global visionaries, our renowned collection of nearly 500,000 works tells the story of the human experience—a story that holds unique meaning for everyone. We welcome diverse perspectives, both within the artwork and among our visitors. Where many worldviews meet, new ways of seeing, thinking, and understanding emerge. The conversations we inspire bring people together—revealing connections, exploring differences, and creating a community where all belong.

Register

 

Virtual School Visit FAQs

How much does it cost?

The Virtual School Program sessions are free!

How do I join one of the monthly sessions?

Please select the class in the schedule you would like to join and then register. A Zoom webinar link will be emailed to you.

I have the Zoom link; how does my class join and participate?

Please feel free to forward the Zoom link to your students. Students do not need to download Zoom to watch the session; they will just need to click “View in Browser” when prompted.

Other options include sharing the session with your students via Google Meets/Classroom. You will need to make sure you accept conference audio when joining the session, otherwise you will not be able to hear the presenter.

Is my student’s privacy at risk?

The Zoom link shared with your students will be registered as the name on the invitation. All students will have the name given on registration upon joining the session.

What will we be doing?

In each 30 minutes session, participants in the AGO Virtual School Programs will explore and discuss an artwork from the AGO Collection, with a focus on the Critical Analysis Process. Students are encouraged to respond to questions in this live session using the Q&A function of the Webinar. The session will also include a mini-wellness moment, and a mini-artmaking “spark” so you and your class can continue to think about the topic once the session is over.

Please Note: This is not a full artmaking session. The AGO offers several artmaking courses. See all courses.

How do I prepare my class?

Students may want a pencil and a sheet of paper as they tune into the sessions. The emphasis of this session is visual literacy, so we ask students to respond to questions posed by the Art Educators, using a keyboard and the Q&A function of the webinar. There will be no verbal replies. All comments are visible to all participants in the session, so here's a gentle reminder to please use the Q&A function respectfully.

If students are onsite, they may choose to write or sketch their responses on a sheet of paper. We would love to see them so please share your completed masterpiece #AGOSchools @AGOToronto

Will any of us be visible during the meeting?

No.

Do I need a microphone or a webcam to participate?

All sessions will be done in a Zoom webinar; student responses are typed in. Participants will not be seen or heard, so no mic or webcam is needed.

Can we use the Chat function?

No. Please use the Q&A function to respond to questions posed by the Art Educator. There are also no audio or verbal replies.

Can I watch a recorded version of this session later on?

These sessions are presented live and not recorded.

Can I record the session to show my students later?

Due to copyright restrictions on different artworks, you are unable to record the session on Zoom

Troubleshooting Your Zoom Link

  • If the link is not working, the quickest fix is to reregister. Our system will send a new link immediately.
  • Only links sent from the AGO will work. Please do not use third-party links.
  • Are there any blank spaces accidentally pasted at the front of the invite?
  • Make sure that you have registered for the correct date, time and subject.
  • Do you have pop-ups enabled?
  • Could Zoom be blocked? Some school networks block Zoom.
  • Try a different browser.
  • Click the link that says, “Click to join” or “Join from your Android or Apple device”.
  • Although you do not need the Zoom app to participate, it may help with your connection. Try downloading the app on your computer or device.

Troubleshooting Your Zoom Audio

  • Check your volume settings, and make sure your headphones are in appropriately if you are using them.
  • Be sure that you have enabled computer audio as part of your Zoom set up.
  • Check your internet connection. Even excellent Wi-Fi can get spotty and prevent a connection. If possible, it’s best to be connected via Ethernet.
  • If you are screensharing via Google Meets/Classroom, make sure your audio settings are in place to accept webinar audio, and that there is access to your computer audio. If Zoom prompts you with any sound requests, please accept them.
  • Zoom may function slightly differently on different devices. For other tech issues you may experience, please check out Zoom’s help section: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us

 

Virtual School Visits - Custom Visits

CUSTOM VIRTUAL TOURS PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS

Art and the Creative Process

Where do artists find their inspiration? Students gain insight into the process behind the creation of selected works from the AGO European, Indigenous & Canadian, and Contemporary collections.

Indigenous Art and Artists

Starting with the land, how do we hold conversations around Indigenous art and artists? In this facilitated experience, students will look at and discuss artwork that captures themes of Indigeneity.

Art of Africa and the African Diaspora

Expanding on the concepts introduced in other Virtual School Programs, students will take a deep-dive into artwork in the AGO Collection by Black artists. Students will also consider concepts of identity through the history and presence of the African diaspora nationally and globally.

 

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