Years K-6 programs and resources for students and teachers are supported by a wide range of education specialists and outside organisations that contribute to the diverse and high quality education experiences available at the Gallery. These include: Volunteer Children’s Guides  
The core role of the Volunteer Children's Guides is to deliver engaging and relevant education programs about the Gallery’s collection and exhibitions called Art Adventure Tours.
The Gallery has 60 Volunteer Children's Guides who lead small groups of children on tours on Tuesdays-Fridays, ensuring that the Gallery space is encountered in an intimate, informative and enjoyable way. They are all members of the Art Gallery Society and are led by a Guide Coordinator and Volunteer Children's Guide coordinator. The K-6 Schools and Family Programs Coordinator works closely with the group and oversees their training and on-going development. The Volunteer Children's Guides undertake an intensive one-year training course, prior to leading school groups. The course includes lectures, performances and workshops with Gallery curators, expert speakers, actors, educators and artists to ensure that they develop an excellent knowledge of the Gallery’s collections and extend their ability in ways of engaging young children with art through looking and interpreting activities. They are regularly assessed throughout the course and must complete a range of assignments and tours to qualify. Upon completion of the course, new guides undertake a further probationary period of 12 months. Once working, all Volunteer Children’s Guides attend weekly meetings and on-going training sessions during school term to continue their professional development and awareness of the Gallery's temporary exhibitions and wider educational issues. Each guide leads a minimum of 40 tours per year and is regularly monitored and assessed. Volunteer Children's Guide Training takes place approximately every five years and positions are advertised in the Sydney Morning Herald, North Shore Times and the Art Gallery Society’s Look magazine. The next intake of guides will take place in 2009.
Teacher-LecturersTeacher-Lecturers work closely with the Coordinators of Education to provide engaging and enjoyable, interpretive and educational programs for K-6 teachers which explore issues relevant to the Gallery, Visual Arts and the K-6 curriculum. Teacher-Lecturers lead workshops during Staff Development Days and Teachers Enrichment Days and devise art-making activities and ideas for use in the K-6 classroom which are differentiated for stages of learning. The position primarily addresses Years 7-12 students and teachers through programs including Discussion Tours, Artist Workshops, Studio Sessions and Study Mornings, but also audiences including K-6 and tertiary students and adults and families for selected programs.
Critical FriendsCritical Friends are the Years K-6 Teachers Advisory group that consult with the Gallery on education programs, resources, the education audiences’ needs and wider education issues. There are eight Critical Friends, outstanding teachers from a diverse range of schools including, metropolitan, public and independent, with a variety of interests, specialisations and experiences in their teaching careers who are invited to participate in the group with the Coordinator of K-6 Schools and Family Programs. Critical Friends volunteer their time to meet once a school term for tenure of two years. Critical Friends 2008 - Juli Allcorn and Annette Gadsby, John Colet School
- Laurenza Butcher, Balgowlah Heights Public School
- Evelyn Tomazos, Bankstown West Public School
- Janna Tess, Sydney Grammar Prep School
- Ingrid Oliver, Fiona Junior School, Ascham
- Carlie Plummer, Northbridge Public School
In acknowledgement of their time and commitment, Critical Friends receive a range of benefits including:
Free entry to all paying exhibitions.
Free entry to all Teacher Professional Development programs.
Access to the Public Programs Department education research files and support material.
Opportunity to present in key education programs including Teachers Enrichment Days
Contribution to the development of education resources including education kits and the website. Years K-6 Teachers who are interested in participating in Critical Friends should contact the K-6 Schools and Family Programs Coordinator. | 
