In preparation for Vimy 100, Explorica invited students to design an emblem for the official Explorica commemorative jacket. Students from across Canada were asked to share what the Battle of Vimy Ridge meant to them. The winner, high school student Maddy Haggith of Strathroy, Ontario, was inspired by a sense of responsibility to honour the Read More …
It’s our favourite time of the year! Photo contest time! We received a record number of submissions in 2016 and we want to make 2017 bigger and better than ever! This year, we’ve chosen a theme: Learning in action. Show us the candid learning moments from your 2017 tour and you could win a $300 Read More …
Meet Gary, a Canadian history and social studies teacher for grades 9-12. He has 24 years of teaching experience, has led four tours with Explorica and is bringing his students to Vimy 100, a commemorative event hosted by the Canadian government marking the 100thanniversary of the First World War and the Battle of Vimy Ridge Read More …
2019 marks the 75th anniversary of one of the most infamous conflicts in our history. The bravery that so many young Canadians exhibited during that fateful summer still touches our lives, and Explorica will be commemorating their sacrifice throughout the 2019 school year with a collection of tours specifically focused on D-Day. On June 6, 1944, a massive Allied force crossed the English Channel Read More …
The conversations we start on Remembrance Day can and should span all year long. Visitors to modern-day Europe can find ample reminders of a time when the continent was bitterly divided into Allied, Axis, Central and neutral powers. On this Remembrance Day, as a record number of Canadians prepare to visit Europe for the 100th anniversary Read More …
Meet Ron Labrie, a history teacher in Ponoka, Alberta. With years of experience leading commemorative tours with Explorica, Ron has gained some fascinating insight and stories to share about Canadian history, Vimy Ridge, and the impact of bringing students around the world to witness history firsthand. What are your school’s connections to WWI? Ponoka Composite High School was the Alberta representative at the 90th Anniversary Read More …
Meet Phil Cassidy, a history and band teacher for grades 9–12. He has 22 years of teaching experience and has led seven tours with Explorica, with two more in the works. Phil served in the Canadian infantry for eight years—one of the many reasons he believes in the importance of connecting students with Canada’s military history. Has your military experience shaped how you teach Canadian history to your students? Absolutely. I Read More …
The Remembrance Day ceremony in Ottawa is the perfect time and place to show students the value of Remembrance Day and why it’s important to reflect on Canada’s involvement in war and peace efforts and pay tribute to those that served, and continue to serve our country. Students have the opportunity to stand with members of Read More …
Explorica introduced the industry’s first commemorative history tours in 2005, pioneering a new opportunity to connect students with their studies in an engaging, life-changing way. In that spirit, we are proud to provide 2018 Italian Campaign tours to commemorate the 75th anniversary of this moment in WWII history. More than 93,000 Canadians, along with allies from Great Britain, France and the United States, played a Read More …
It can be a challenge to make the realities of our past relatable to today’s students especially for battles fought far back like the Battle of Vimy Ridge during WWI. At Explorica, we bridge the gap by connecting students to the people and places where history unfolded, changing that relationship from distant stories in a Read More …
