Onsite education programs, National Portrait Gallery
Source: http://www.portrait.gov.au/content/onsite-education-programs
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:16
Onsite education programs, National Portrait Gallery
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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.
Onsite education programs
Learn
Explore the Gallery and discover the stories of significant Australians through a range of onsite education programs connected to the Australian Curriculum. From facilitated programs to digital app experiences and self-guided visits, there is an exciting educational opportunity for any group.
Bookings can be made through the
Book Canberra Excursions portal
. To help you prepare for your trip to the Gallery, see our
School Visit Information
.
Book now via BCE
Mission to Mars
$10 per student, 30 minutes, Years 6 - 12
Looking for a fun and energising activity to begin or end your day in Canberra? Blast off with Mission to Mars, our innovative digital app that brings together art, adventure and exploration. Students will need to work together to select a crew to launch into life on Mars. They will explore the Gallery, looking at portraits on display and deciding who should join the crew. Discussion, consideration and collaboration is essential. Who would make the best engineer? Do we need an influencer on board or is a scientist more important? Decisions need to be made quickly while navigating challenges and surprises along the way to lift off.
Headhunt!
$3 per student, 60 minutes, Years 5 - 9
Headhunt!
is an innovative digital app that invites students on an expedition of curiosity, creativity and collaboration. Exciting and playful, the app appeals to all types of learners, providing students with a sense of autonomy and agency as they work in small teams to scavenge the collection to explore Australian people through the art of portraiture. Using one of the Gallery’s devices, students will be directed to different locations in the Gallery where they will choose artworks and capture their insights by completing a series of interactive activities. Students will be prompted to engage deeply with artworks that pique their interests, finding meaning through observation and conversations with their peers. But it’s not just the students who get to have all the fun! Teachers have their very own version of Headhunt! where they can track their student’s’ progress, send messages and read everyone’s thoughtful responses.
Self-guide
Free, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Lead your own group visit! Self-guided visits enable educators to create their own tailored experience for their students. Be welcomed and introduced to the Gallery by one of our Visitor Experience Assistants, before you explore the collection and temporary exhibitions. 2B pencils and paper/activity sheets are welcome. We also have a variety of free
learning resources
to support your visit.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
This program identifies significant events and ideas in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, through key individuals who have shaped the political and cultural developments involved. Students will explore portraits via visual analysis, debate and pictorial representation; and discover how portraits can be used as historical documents.
Art
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Our visual art programs investigate ways students can interpret portraits. They’ll look at aspects of biography, identity and culture; look at portraits that use different styles and media; and learn through discussion, activity and drawing.
Civics and citizenship
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
In these programs we emphasise recognition of individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields of endeavour who have excelled and contributed to society. Students will discover ways to examine the portraits of significant Australians – past and present – through discussion and drawing.
History
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Our history programs identify significant historical periods, events and ideas through key individuals who have shaped Australia’s social, economic, political and cultural developments. Students will explore portraits through visual analysis, contrast and compare works from different eras, pictorial representation; and discover how portraits can be used as historical documents.
Visual Thinking Strategies™
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Years 3 – 12 and Tertiary
In collaboration with Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS™ New York), we present critical thinking and visual literacy programs for all levels of education. In them we incorporate concepts of ‘close looking’; verbalising observations and backing up theories with evidence, close listening and developing the skill to simultaneously hold different and sometimes conflicting ideas as possibilities. Students are provided with new skills to navigate and critically examine our image-saturated world. The emphasis is on discussion-based, student-centric learning.
Book now via BCE
Learn
Onsite education programs
Online education programs
Holiday Care Programs
Learning resources
School visit information
Professional learning
Related information
The Gallery
Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
Support your Portrait Gallery
We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building the amazing portrait collection!
Plan your visit
Information on location, accessibility and amenities.
Home
Contact
Media
Privacy statement
User agreement
Social media and community guidelines
© National Portrait Gallery 2026
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone
+61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.
This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.
The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the
Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)
. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a
Reproduction request
. For further information please contact
NPG Copyright
.
The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency
Skip to main content
What's on
The Portraits
Visit
The Gallery
Learn
Watch
Members
More
O
What's on
On view
Plan your Visit
Full calendar
Exhibitions
Touring exhibitions
Prizes
National Photographic Portrait Prize
Darling Portrait Prize
The Portraits
Highlights
Currently on display
Watch
Portrait stories
On demand
The Gallery
About us
Support the Gallery
Venue hire
Publications
Research library
Organisation chart
Employment
Contact us
Governance & Board
Vision and purpose
Annual report
Circle of Friends
Become a member
Renew membership
Learn
Make a booking
Onsite programs
Online programs
School visit information
Learning resources
Little Darlings
Professional learning
Access
Audio description
Disability Inclusion Access Plan
Search the website
close
close
What's on
The Portraits
The Gallery
Learn
Watch
More
O
The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.
Onsite education programs
Learn
Explore the Gallery and discover the stories of significant Australians through a range of onsite education programs connected to the Australian Curriculum. From facilitated programs to digital app experiences and self-guided visits, there is an exciting educational opportunity for any group.
Bookings can be made through the
Book Canberra Excursions portal
. To help you prepare for your trip to the Gallery, see our
School Visit Information
.
Book now via BCE
Mission to Mars
$10 per student, 30 minutes, Years 6 - 12
Looking for a fun and energising activity to begin or end your day in Canberra? Blast off with Mission to Mars, our innovative digital app that brings together art, adventure and exploration. Students will need to work together to select a crew to launch into life on Mars. They will explore the Gallery, looking at portraits on display and deciding who should join the crew. Discussion, consideration and collaboration is essential. Who would make the best engineer? Do we need an influencer on board or is a scientist more important? Decisions need to be made quickly while navigating challenges and surprises along the way to lift off.
Headhunt!
$3 per student, 60 minutes, Years 5 - 9
Headhunt!
is an innovative digital app that invites students on an expedition of curiosity, creativity and collaboration. Exciting and playful, the app appeals to all types of learners, providing students with a sense of autonomy and agency as they work in small teams to scavenge the collection to explore Australian people through the art of portraiture. Using one of the Gallery’s devices, students will be directed to different locations in the Gallery where they will choose artworks and capture their insights by completing a series of interactive activities. Students will be prompted to engage deeply with artworks that pique their interests, finding meaning through observation and conversations with their peers. But it’s not just the students who get to have all the fun! Teachers have their very own version of Headhunt! where they can track their student’s’ progress, send messages and read everyone’s thoughtful responses.
Self-guide
Free, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Lead your own group visit! Self-guided visits enable educators to create their own tailored experience for their students. Be welcomed and introduced to the Gallery by one of our Visitor Experience Assistants, before you explore the collection and temporary exhibitions. 2B pencils and paper/activity sheets are welcome. We also have a variety of free
learning resources
to support your visit.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
This program identifies significant events and ideas in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, through key individuals who have shaped the political and cultural developments involved. Students will explore portraits via visual analysis, debate and pictorial representation; and discover how portraits can be used as historical documents.
Art
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Our visual art programs investigate ways students can interpret portraits. They’ll look at aspects of biography, identity and culture; look at portraits that use different styles and media; and learn through discussion, activity and drawing.
Civics and citizenship
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
In these programs we emphasise recognition of individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields of endeavour who have excelled and contributed to society. Students will discover ways to examine the portraits of significant Australians – past and present – through discussion and drawing.
History
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Pre-school, Primary, Secondary and Tertiary
Our history programs identify significant historical periods, events and ideas through key individuals who have shaped Australia’s social, economic, political and cultural developments. Students will explore portraits through visual analysis, contrast and compare works from different eras, pictorial representation; and discover how portraits can be used as historical documents.
Visual Thinking Strategies™
$7 per student, 60 minutes, Years 3 – 12 and Tertiary
In collaboration with Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS™ New York), we present critical thinking and visual literacy programs for all levels of education. In them we incorporate concepts of ‘close looking’; verbalising observations and backing up theories with evidence, close listening and developing the skill to simultaneously hold different and sometimes conflicting ideas as possibilities. Students are provided with new skills to navigate and critically examine our image-saturated world. The emphasis is on discussion-based, student-centric learning.
Book now via BCE
Learn
Onsite education programs
Online education programs
Holiday Care Programs
Learning resources
School visit information
Professional learning
Related information
The Gallery
Visit us, learn with us, support us or work with us! Here’s a range of information about planning your visit, our history and more!
Support your Portrait Gallery
We depend on your support to keep creating our programs, exhibitions, publications and building the amazing portrait collection!
Plan your visit
Information on location, accessibility and amenities.
Home
Contact
Media
Privacy statement
User agreement
Social media and community guidelines
© National Portrait Gallery 2026
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone
+61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.
This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.
The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the
Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth)
. Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a
Reproduction request
. For further information please contact
NPG Copyright
.
The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency