The Canadian Museum of Nature is now offering interactive virtual workshops for free to all teachers across Canada.

The nature-based virtual program was launched in March 2021 for a fee.

It has served a total of 10,000 students in 212 schools across the country since its inception.

The museum said in a statement on Wednesday that waiving the fees will make access to the museum's workshops easier.

Angelina Lavin, Vice President, Experience and Engagement at the Canadian Museum of Nature, said: "By offering these workshops for free now, we are making natural science education more accessible to schools that may face budget constraints or other challenges."

She noted that they strive to create inclusive experiences that inspire a sense of wonder and curiosity about the natural world.

The museum adds that the live sessions are led by a museum educator who presents natural science topics to students from the comfort of their classrooms, noting that "all content is adapted to meet the curricula of each province and territory."

The virtual workshops complement the in-person sessions held at the museum located in downtown Ottawa.

Dana Albright, Head of Programming at the museum, added: "Our workshops are designed to spark curiosity, enhance critical thinking, and cultivate a deep appreciation for science and nature. We connect teachers with topics in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics using real museum science and specimens. It’s an authentic educational program that students can access directly from the classroom."

The museum states that the three highly engaging virtual workshops are presented with high-quality cameras and include the following:

• Coastal Adventure workshops are offered for grades 1 to 4, and 6, depending on the province or territory, and for elementary courses 1 and 2 in Quebec.

• Exploring Rocks and Minerals workshops are offered for grades 3, 4, 5, and 7, depending on the province or territory, and for elementary courses 2 and 3, and secondary course 1 in Quebec.

• Raven's Riddles workshops are offered for grades 1 to 4, and 6, depending on the province or territory, and for elementary courses 1 and 2 in Quebec, providing them with a bird adventure to solve a riddle in the museum's bird exhibit.