School Food Policy & Alberta School Nutrition Report Card
Our keynote opening session will discuss the impact of food and nutrition policy on student wellness as well as the challenges and successes both researchers have seen with the development, implementation, and evaluation of school food and nutrition policy in their respective provinces of Alberta and New Brunswick.
Dr. Kim Raine will discuss 2020’s annual Alberta School Nutrition Report Card, a project for which she has been the Principal Investigator on since creating the first edition in 2015. Dr. Raine will discuss how Alberta has progressed over the last five years and key recommendations to raise Alberta’s grade on school nutrition.
Agriculture Education for the Next Generation of Stewards
Join Inside Education as we explore how agriculture connects land, water, food, and people to form the basis for endless learning. We will demonstrate how incorporating agriculture into your lessons can liven up your classroom with real-world examples of science, technology, innovation and stewardship. Inside Education will guide you through several approaches and best practices to agriculture education with classroom activities, project ideas, and access to no-cost resources including learning gardens and project grants. We will share valuable information to give you the tools you need to engage your students in agriculture stewardship, citizen science, and civic action, empowering you to meaningfully incorporate agriculture into your curriculum across multiple grades and subject areas.
Students Engaged in School Food
The Youth Changing the Course (YCC) project began mid-way through the 2018/19 school year across the Livingstone Range School Division (LRSD) (southwest AB). YYC’s purpose was to build and maintain aquaponics systems that would demonstrate innovation, water conservation and food production. During the 2019/20 school year, students became proficient in maintaining their own aquaponics growing systems.
This outreach project, educated and inspired youth in the science of aquaponics and has demonstrated the efficiencies for this sustainable method to increase local food production. Our project has engaged more than 1,000 students in 9 different schools. Students throughout LRSD continue to maintain their aquaponic food production systems while monitoring their water consumption. These students are becoming leaders in growing more food locally and sustainably.
Alberta School Food Policy
This panel will discuss how policy informs school food programming in Alberta.
The Core Ingredients: Exploring the Role of Nutrition in Schools
The landscape of food provision and nutrition education in schools is evolving to align with new public health measures. At the sane time, nutrition continues to be a key component in student learning. Through group discussions you will hear how schools are successfully adapting nutrition support for students. A Comprehensive School Health approach will be use to highlight ‘The Core Ingredients; for fostering life-long healthy eating habits.
School Gardens
School Food as an Essential Service: Building a Movement for a National Cost-Shared Universal Healthy School Food Program
Debbie Field will explain how the Coalition for Healthy School Food works to lay the foundation for healthy eating habits that will last a lifetime and ensure that learning is not hindered by a lack of access to good food.
Good Food for Learning: Universal, Curriculum-Integrated School Lunch Program Research
Dr. Engler-Stringer will discuss her on-going universal, curriculum-integrated school food program research, including a large study in intervention versus control schools, baseline research on parent’s perceptions of school food programs and some research conducted on COVID-related school closures and how school food programs across Canada adapted.
Little Green Thumbs Food Forest & Solar Green Houses
Session information coming soon
Informing Future Priorities for Alberta Food Matters – help us grow!
Where to Find Money for School Food Programing
Jesse Veenstra, Laura LaValley, and Alison Van Dyke
This panel will discuss funding sources available for starting and maintaining school food programs.
Food security in schools, a community opportunity
School Food Programs in Indigenous Communities
This panel will discuss school food programs in FNMI communities across Alberta.
Agriculture in the Classroom
Pan-Canadian Provincial & Territorial School Food Programs
This panel will feature program coordinators, teachers, community organizations, and others involved with leading and supporting school food programs across the country. Speakers on this panel bring their expertise from working in school food in Quebec, Nova Scotia, the Northwest Territories, Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta.
Feeding Children During the Pandemic
Panelists will discuss how their community organizations and schools have helped support children’s nutrition throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
AA Pediatric Medical Clinic
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