Heritage education

New Brunswick's Heritage Fair Program is part of a national education project developed to increase awareness and interest in Canadian history. 

Heritage fairs take place in schools with grades five to nine where students present their research projects and the best heritage research projects presented will be recognized. Small grants are provided to schools to cover related costs such as educational supplies, student prizes, and travel to regional heritage fair sites. A provincial showcase is held each year at Government House in Fredericton.

Heritage fairs are an opportunity to include your entire school in an educational, dynamic and exciting event. By participating in the program, teachers from all departments encourage their students to learn more about their community while developing and expressing their creative talents.

• All projects must have a New Brunswick or Canadian heritage theme and entail some research conducted by the participants. Project can be specific to one time-period or display a thematic development or progression.
• Students may prepare projects as individuals or in groups.
• Students provide written research that was undertaken in developing their projects.
• Students present their displays at scheduled times during the school or regional fair.
• Students are strongly encouraged to use digital technologies (interactive presentation, video, etc.) to present their project.
• Heritage fair projects may include models, caricatures, posters, objects, maps, demonstrations, crafts, artistic displays, short stories and heritage journal writing, poetry or theatrical scripts, debates and public speaking, dramatic productions, music, dance, computer presentations, video “heritage minutes” production, video “documentary or journalist” production, oral interviews, photography exhibits, etc.

1. A school coordinator and teachers advise and support students to help them select a research subject. 
2. Students conduct research to define their topic, find sources of information (including books, newspaper/magazine articles, oral history interviews, maps, videos, field observations, etc.) and summarize their findings in a visual and oral presentation.
3. Students present their project in front of the class, or an audience, and are evaluated by a teacher or a jury. The best projects will have the opportunity to participate in regional heritage fairs.
4. Regional coordinators plan and prepare the regional heritage fairs where students of the district present their project to a jury. 
5. The jury will award regional and provincial awards to the best projects. The best project of the regional fair will be selected to participate in the provincial showcase.
6. Provincial award winners are invited to present their projects to the program's honorary patron, the Lieutenant Governor, during the provincial showcase and to take part in a medal ceremony.

Projects can be started anytime during the months leading up to your school fair which can be held between mid-February and mid-April.

Each regional heritage fair will give awards supported by stakeholders, beyond these awards, the administration of the fair is free to provide other school district prizes.

Heritage week is held second week in February during the week leading up to Family Day.

Each year, heritage groups, museums, communities, schools, access centers and libraries throughout New Brunswick celebrate the province's diverse heritage by hosting special activities. The Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture has promoted Heritage Week every year since 1994. As part of a provincial heritage education and promotion initiative, the department sets aside seven days each year for the purpose of fostering partnerships and raising awareness of heritage within other branches of government as well as private and public sector agencies.

During Heritage Week we encourage everyone to visit and discover our great buildings, cultural institutions, extraordinary landscapes, and vibrant urban and rural communities or attend a heritage week event in their community. If you can’t experience activities and places first-hand, then consider exploring heritage virtually from your home.

If you are planning an event for Heritage Week or know of an event taking place, please share it with us on our Facebook page or contact us at [email protected].

Heritage Week 2025 takes place February 10 to 17. This year’s theme is Celebrating New Brunswick's Official Languages.

English and French are much more than just the languages we speak. They are the pillars of our heritage, the guardians of our collective memory, the carriers of our stories, our struggles and our successes.

As Canada's only bilingual province, New Brunswick has a unique linguistic heritage that unites its communities and enriches our culture. New Brunswick's Official Languages Act is at the core of our social fabric.

During this week of celebration, let's rediscover the living heritage of official languages and how it reflects our identity. Through culture, arts and dialogue, let's celebrate the richness that unites us and shapes our future.

Happy Heritage Week 2025 to all!