[discussion] substrate / sealant help

Hi all,

Due to a series of events, I'm now covering for a someone who was supposed to teach a collage class. It's been a while since I've done any collage work, but I need to order supplies.

I have PVA glue available, should I also order a sealant? I see a lot about gel medium, but I've never used that. Should I have them seal it with modge podge?

I have some Bristol board, which I was going to use as a kind of a first week "make something" substrate, but I was going to order some canvas boards for a bigger (size/scope) project, would that be a decent substrate? My budget is not large, and I can get some canvas board for within my budget. Or would some kind of wood like masonite work better?

I humbly ask you all for advice and help ♥️