June 30, 2020
The Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) Program offers a travel subsidy for Year 4 to Year 12 students across Australia to visit Parliament House, the Museum of Australian Democracy, the & National Electoral Education Centre, and the Australian War Memorial as part of their civics and citizenship education.
The great news is there are now a further two national institutions, as well as a new exhibition from the National Museum of Australia, that may be added to your school excursion as an alternative if the sites listed above aren’t available;
National Capital Authority with three education programs to choose from (click on the links below for more info):
- How We Remember: ANZAC Parade memorials tour;
In this tour Students explore four memorials, considering the reasons for creating such places, the symbols used and the service remembered. - The Story of Canberra;
Students are given context for their excursion to the National Capital by discovering the story of a city that is a direct result of the Australian Constitution (Section 125), demonstrating our democratic government process. They encounter the symbolic nature of the city in relation to our democracy and the Australian character. They discover a National Capital that was designed as a city for all Australians, and a capital that continues to develop with them in mind. They are also asked to consider what institutions or changes may be built into the capital in the future. - Our Shared Journey: Reconciliation Place Tour.
Students explore what Reconciliation means and why it is both an acknowledgement of a shared past and a signpost for our nation’s future. Students touch and explore public artworks to reflect on events, people and concepts that contribute to our shared journey.
National Gallery of Australia
- Belonging: Stories of Australia
Celebrate the resilience of Indigenous cultures, and the connections between art, people and Country. Drawn from historical and contemporary work and informed by the many voices of Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultures and communities, this program reconsiders Australia’s history of colonisation and its impact.
Through the works of art, students investigate themes of migration, occupation, activism and native title, challenging the notion of terra nullius. From the colonial period to Federation and contemporary times, artists reveal the evolving narrative of the nation, changing social attitudes as well as drawing attention to the natural environment and how it has changed over time.
National Museum of Australia
- The Endeavour Voyage: The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians
Due to COVID-19, the National Museum of Australia is temporarily unable to offer its existing PACER-approved programs but is offering the Endeavour Voyage: The Untold Stories of Cook and the First Australians exhibition as an alternative. The exhibition challenges understandings of James Cook’s 1770 Endeavour voyage and its complex legacy by exploring Aboriginal and torres Strait Islander experiences and the experiences of those travelling on the His Majesty’s Bark Endeavour.
How to Book?
Bookings for the new programs are essential and can be booked through Book Canberra Excursions
More information regarding PACER can be found at www.pacer.org.au
