MUSEUM OF CHINESE AUSTRALIAN HISTORY |
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Welcome to our Education Newsletter for Term 1 2026 The Chinese Museum plays an important role in preserving the heritage of Australians with Chinese ancestry for future generations and to acknowledge the contribution they have made to the evolution of Australian society over the past 200 years to the current day. We preserve and present Chinese culture and Australian history to recognise and celebrate the identity of Chinese Australian people. |
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Dear Education Community, Happy New Year! Welcome to term one and a new school year full of exciting learning opportunities! The Chinese Museum offer tours and interactive workshops which showcase the heritage and culture of the Australian Chinese community. Join us either onsite or online to enrich and support your students in their study of Australian History, Ancient History, Chinese Language and Intercultural Understanding. In this edition of Ed-News, we are excited to announce the launch of our brand-new Mahjong Workshop Program. Discover how your students can enhance their skills in strategy and logical reasoning as well as having lots of fun! Get set to gallop into the Year of the Fire Horse. Save the date: The Chinese Museum will be hosting a range of activities and celebrations as part of the Lunar New Year Festival on Sunday 22nd February in the heart of Chinatown, Melbourne. Explore our range of Education programs that will help you and your students celebrate the lunar new year. We are now taking bookings for all terms throughout 2026! Head to our website to secure your booking. We recommend planning ahead to ensure that your preferred dates are available, so book in early to avoid disappointment. Term one is already filling up! We look forward to welcoming you to the Chinese Museum as an extension of your classroom this year. Wishing you prosperity and much happiness for the Year of the Horse! Tiffany Chimirri, Education Manager, Museum of Chinese Australian History |
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BOOKINGS FOR 2026 The Chinese Museum offers curriculum-aligned Education Programs all year round for students of all year levels and all abilities. For your convenience, all bookings for Education Programs can be made online at any time using our online booking form. Our online booking form includes all the relevant information required to complete your booking. Simply select your preferred program, click the BOOK NOW button to and then fill in the online booking form with your details. We invite you to view our full range of Education Programs on our website under the Education tab in the menu. All information including a brief description of the program, recommended year levels, minimum and maximum participant numbers can be found on each program page. Please note that each type of program has its own booking form: - Online booking form for Excursions
- Online booking form for Incursions
- Online booking form for Virtual Programs
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Announcing our NEW Booking Process for Education Programs Booking your education experience at The Chinese Museum will now be faster and easier than ever! What’s changing: - There will no longer be any tentative bookings. Bookings will be considered firm at the time of booking.
- For accuracy and efficiency, all bookings must be made using the appropriate online form. We will no longer be accepting bookings made by phone or by email. We will direct you to use the online form.
- When you submit your booking request, we will then check our availability.
- Your booking will be confirmed straight away unless we need to make any adjustments with you.
- Pre-visit information will be provided which will include FAQs, terms and conditions and program information.
- If you require any further information or have specific needs, you can still contact our Education Team to discuss your requirements, and we will be able to answer your questions.
How this benefits you: - No more chasing confirmations or remembering to approve tentative bookings, saving you valuable time.
- It’s simpler, easier and more streamlined for everyone involved.
- Faster processing means that you will have confirmation of your booking much sooner.
What you need to do: - Select your preferred Education Program, making sure that you check the recommended age levels are suitable and that your groups size meets the minimum and maximum numbers for that program.
- Ensure that you have pre-approval from your Principal, Manager or school/organisation BEFORE submitting your booking request. Bookings will be considered firm at the time of booking.
- Fill out the online booking form with all necessary information, including preferred dates, times, student numbers, and your contact details.
- Submit your booking request form directly to our Education Team.
- Our Education Team will check availability for your request and process your booking.
- Once processed, you will receive an email with a Booking Confirmation together with our Booking Policy.
- Carefully read our terms and conditions as outlined in our Booking Policy. Fees will be incurred for late cancelations or late amendments.
- Any amendments to your booking such as changing participant numbers must be made in writing at least 10 business days prior to the program. Full details of our terms and conditions can be found in our Booking Policy.
Our new streamlined booking process will make booking into a Chinese Museum Education Program much faster, saving you valuable time! |
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In this hands-on workshop, students will learn how to play the game, Mahjong. Developed in the 19th century, Mahjong is a tile-based game which involves strategy, skill and luck where players form matching sets and pairs of tiles. Students will learn skills of memory, pattern recognition, strategy and logical reasoning as well as having lots of fun! No prior knowledge is required. A complete tutorial to learn the key aspects and rules of the game will be presented and demonstrated, and students will have the opportunity to practice the game in teams. |
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CELEBRATE CHINESE NEW YEAR 2026 WITH US |
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Chinese New Year 2026 is on Tuesday 17 February, the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar also known as the Lunar New Year. It will be the Year of the Fire Horse! It is predicted to be a dynamic, fast-paced, and transformative year characterised by growth, energy, and motivation to embrace new opportunities. You may be lucky to witness the awakening of the Millennium Dragon, who will emerge from our Museum for its annual Chinese New Year parade on Sunday 22 February. Celebrate the Lunar New Year with our Dragon Puppet Workshop where students will learn about the importance, myths, and origins of the Chinese dragon. In this hands-on craft workshop, students will make their own dragon puppet to take home. This workshop is suitable for students in Prep-Year 6 and Year 7/8. |
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Did you know that our Dragon Puppet workshop is now available as a Travelling Museum Program as well as an excursion program? Our team can come to your school where students can participate from their own classroom. |
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Celebrate the Year of the Horse with paper cut decoration! The exquisite folk-art of paper cutting dates back to the invention of paper in the Han Dynasty, more than 2000 years ago. Discover the cultural significance of paper cuts and how they symbolise luck and happiness at festivals and celebrations. In this workshop students will learn some basic techniques and auspicious symbols to make their own beautiful red and gold paper cut. A vibrant way to decorate your classroom to bring prosperity for the Lunar New Year! |
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FREE Year of the Horse ACTIVITY |
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To celebrate the Year of the Horse, we have created a special complimentary craft activity whereby students can make their own articulated horse with moveable legs. This resource includes two different horse designs, provided to you as FREE printable PDFs with full instructions. You’ll receive your free activity after your Museum program, and it will only be available for the Year of the Horse. |
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New VSOs have recently joined the Education Team. A very warm welcome to Megan, Fiona, Annabelle and Trinity. Our team Visitor Services Officers (VSOs) deliver guided tours and facilitate workshops for our Education Programs. |
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Thank You for Your Ongoing Support |
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Wishing you a prosperous 2026 and Year of the Horse. We warmly wish to thank teachers and schools for continuing to support our Museum and we look forward to welcoming you and your students either onsite or online at The Chinese Museum soon. We gratefully and warmly thank the Department of Education of Victoria for their continued support through the Strategic Partnerships Program. Best wishes, The Education Team |
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The Museum of Chinese Australian History gratefully acknowledges the Victorian State Government Department of Education as an Education Program partner. We gratefully and warmly thank the Department of Education for their support through the Strategic Partnerships Program. |
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Museum of Chinese Australian History acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past, present and emerging. |
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22 Cohen Place
Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia |
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