What can schools do?

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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.