Our FREE K-12 Apple Diversity Hybrid Workshop is back!
Start your 2026/2027 School Year with the fresh taste of Apple Diversity!
free registration here!Join us on September 22, 2026, for a curriculum-connected online session exploring the delicious diversity of apples. Teachers will receive a downloadable package of hands-on activities to support classroom learning.
Submit your classroom’s completed activity for a chance to win a free 1-hour Garden + TreeWalk tour at UBC Botanical Garden with our Schools Program team (See Q&A below for details).
What: Through the lens of apple diversity, this free hybrid program invites K–12 teachers and students across Metro Vancouver and B.C. to explore science and nature through an online workshop and classroom-based activities.
Students will learn about the diversity of local and heritage apples while engaging with topics such as plant science, nutrition, sustainability, conservation, and environmental stewardship. The program includes curriculum-aligned, teacher-led activities that extend learning in the classroom, including our iNaturalist Apple ID project.
Teachers can choose from a variety of activities to support their students’ interests and learning goals, aligned with the B.C. Science Curriculum by grade level.
Who: Metro Vancouver Schools, Grades: K-7 and 8-12
When: September 22nd, 2026
Where: Online session from the Garden to your classroom
Stream Time: Grades K-7 at 9:10 am/ Grades 8 -12 at 10:15 am
Cost: FREE!
Topics covered in the 2026 workshop:
- Apple diversity, including local and native apples, distribution, Indigenous culture and stewardship, nutrition, and ecology
- Apple tree life cycles and propagation
- Apple diversity conservation and sustainable practices
Available for download:
Enjoy the activity package with your students and share photos of their learning to geiza.bianchidelellis@ubc.ca by October 9, 2026. Participants will be notified of the contest winner by email by October 16, 2026.
Extended Opportunity: UBC Botanical Garden Apple Orchard Tour
Apple season continues in the Garden! Our native apple tree collections and orchard cultivars are ‘fleshing’ throughout September and October. Bring your class for a 1-hour guided Garden tour, including an Apple Orchard Walk, and deepen your students’ learning through a hands-on exploration of apple diversity.
Use code APPLE2026 to receive 20% off admission for a 1-hour guided Garden tour with an Apple Orchard Walk. Offer available on select dates: September 23, 24; October 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9, 2026.
Book garden tour + Apple orchard walk here
FAQs
The workshop is open to teachers and students in grades K–7 and 8–12 from schools across Metro Vancouver, BC.
Teachers can register their classroom in the link HERE.
No, the workshop is completely free for all participating schools or classrooms.
The workshop uses a hybrid format, combining interactive online sessions delivered by the Schools Program at UBC Botanical Garden team with teacher-led, hands-on activities at your school or in your local community.
Topics include apple diversity, plant science, nutrition, gardening, sustainability, environmental stewardship, conservation, and traditional knowledge.
Yes, all activities and lessons are designed to align with the BC Curriculum. You can find the unit plan with curriculum connections HERE.
Please download the activity package. Teachers can prepare ahead for a fresh back-to-school experience with apple diversity activities and join us for the live online session.
Teachers can select many activities as they like considering the grade level fit, time, and materials/resources available. Enjoy the activity package with your students and share photos of their learning by October 9, 2026. Please submit photos to the Schools Program Coordinator at geiza.bianchidelellis@ubc.ca. Participants will be notified of the contest winner by email by October 16, 2026.
A live online session will take place on September 22, 2026, where students and teachers can share reflections on their activities. Teachers are also welcome to contact our Schools Program Coordinator, Geiza Bianchi De Lellis, at geiza.bianchidelellis@ubc.ca for support.
Enjoy the activity package with your students and share photos of their learning by October 9, 2026. Please submit photos to the Schools Program Coordinator at geiza.bianchidelellis@ubc.ca. Participants will be notified of the contest winner by email by October 16, 2026.
2025 Apple Diversity Hybrid Workshop Gallery & Testimonial
“Yesterday in class we completed the first lesson, the apple dissection, with students. The lesson was really easy to follow and adapt to include all students.” Grade 5 teacher.
