Download a PDF version of the toolkit for schools here.
Create Economic Opportunities
- Fundraise using locally grown and produced items.
- Learn about Community Supported Agriculture initiatives.
- Purchase and prepare foods grown locally.
- Connect with local growers to supply student nutrition programs.
Promote Education and Skill Building
- Create a vegetable garden at your school.
- Arrange a field trip to a local farm to learn about where food comes from.
- Look for opportunities within curriculum to teach about food and practice food skills (e.g., budget for groceries in math class, work in the garden during phys ed.).
- Have students help prepare food for student nutrition programs.
- Engage and empower students to improve the food culture of schools.
- Ask for their suggestions and ideas.
- Contact a Public Health Dietitian for support and resources.
Maintain a Healthy Ecosystem
- Raise awareness about the importance of reducing food miles by buying local food.
- Reduce waste by composting and recycling.
Foster Residents’ Health and Well-Being
- Provide healthy, affordable food choices to students daily, at special events, and for fundraising.
- Create opportunities for students, faculty and staff to provide input into what food is served and sold at school.
- Support school wellness programs to define and implement healthy eating efforts.
- Involve teachers, students, administrators, parents, food service staff and health unit staff.
Support Equal Access Opportunities
- Participate in Grow A Row where an extra row of produce is grown in your garden to donate to a community food program.
- Ensure student nutrition programs are not stigmatizing.
- Create barrier-free opportunities for food activities like gardening and cooking.
- Look for opportunities within programming to raise awareness about food security issues.
- Encourage school community to donate only high quality, healthy food for food drives to increase access to healthy foods.
Celebrate Culture and Collaboration
- Offer a diversity of food products and flavours.
- Participate in local food festivals and events to celebrate the diversity of food.
- Promote healthy celebrations within the school community (e.g. offering fruit kebabs for birthdays)
- Use food to celebrate other cultures and link with the curriculum.