Project Title
Creating a Resource Package for Farm to School (Vancouver Region) Grant Recipients
Farm to School Vancouver Area Regional Hub (program of Public Health Association of BC)
Organization Information
Organization Name
Farm to School Vancouver Area Regional Hub (program of Public Health Association of BC)
Mission and Vision of Organization
Healthy, local and sustainable food on the plates and minds of all students in BC F2SBC
Mission
Working with communities and partners, Farm to School BC seeks to empower and support schools in building comprehensive Farm to School programs that support vibrant, sustainable, regional food systems, develop student food literacy and enhance school and community connectedness.
Goals
- Support the development of sustainable regional food systems in BC by bringing more healthy, local, and sustainable food into BC schools
- Promote healthy eating in schools by supporting the further development of healthy school food environments and fruit vegetable consumption
- Advance experiential, hands-on learning opportunities related to food systems and the development of student food literacy
- Enhance school and community connectedness
- Develop promising Farm to School practice models that are sustainable, self-financing, eco-friendly and have the potential to be implemented elsewhere.
Farm to School BC is a program of the Public Health Association of BC and is supported by the Province of British Columbia and the Provincial Health Services Authority.
Guiding Principles + Values
Farm to School empowers students and school communities to make informed food choices while contributing to vibrant, sustainable regional food systems that support the health of people, place and planet. Farm to school programs differ by school, but always include one or more of the following:
- Healthy, Local Food: Schools source local food in a variety of ways, including through direct farmer relationships, food distributors, schoolyard farms, or the harvesting of wild or traditional foods. When local food arrives in schools it is often served in the form of a salad bar, hot lunch program, tasting activity, fundraiser, or community celebration.
- Hands-on Learning: Food literacy is a critically important component of Farm to School programs. Step into any school offering a Farm to School program and you will find students learning about food in the school garden, greenhouse, kitchen, lunchroom or classroom. They may also be getting ready for field trips to local farms, forests and shores. School & Community
- Connectedness: The most successful and sustainable Farm to School programs are built upon strong relationships. Schools establish relationships with farmers, community members, and support organizations, tapping into local knowledge passion, skills and resources.
- Sustainable Regional Food Systems: The Farm to School BC Network and movement is dedicated to supporting the development of sustainable regional food systems in British Columbia.
Contact Information
- Primary Contact Person(s): Meryn Corkery, she/her
- Email: vancouverregion@farmtoschoolbc.ca
- Phone: 780-953-8126
- Address: #550-2950 Douglas Street Victoria, BC V8T 4N4
- Website: https://farmtoschoolbc.ca/
Preferred Method of Contact
- Best method(s) to contact: Email
- Best day(s) to contact: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
- Best time(s) to contact: Mornings, Afternoons
Preferred Platform(s) for Remote Collaboration
- Email, Zoom, in-person if needed
Project Description
Note: This project will take place mostly online, may have the opportunity for some in-person meetings if preferred
Context: What challenge or issue does the project aim to address?
Farm to School BC supports many teachers and schools across the so-called Vancouver Region, including schools in Richmond, Vancouver, North Shore and up the Sea to Sky (and all of the First Nation and Independent schools in the region), to develop comprehensive farm to school programs. These programs vary widely and include activities such as school gardens, indoor growing + microgreens, native plant gardens + Indigenous foodways projects, farm visits, and more. In this region, there are also many other nonprofits, community groups, partners, farms, and businesses that are keen to support schools and teachers' programs to succeed!
I currently have multiple informal lists and awareness of many of the partners that exist in the region. However, I am seeking support compiling these lists, identifying any gaps I have, and transforming them into a package that may be easier for teachers and other partners to navigate. Teachers and partners have limited time and often have varying needs so the package may need to be able to accommodate those differences. Note this project would focus on primarily place-based assets, as we already have many resources for curriculum and starting programs on our website (see Teacher Resources and Starting a Program tabs). These assets could include things like where to get quality discounted soil, what community groups are available to support a project, and what farms or other food and medicine growing sites are available for field trips.
This resource package would go to teachers who have either recently received grants or reached out to F2SBC for support, and be used as a reference tool for the F2S staff member. For now, the resource package would likely live in a document or spreadsheet form, but in the future, it could be moved to a different platform.
Main Project Activities and Deliverables
- Compiling existing lists and assets (will be provided by community partner)
- Identifying gaps in this list (with support of F2S staff member) + researching assets to fill gaps
- Outlining potential ways to organize this information so that is user friendly
- Creation of resource package
- Optional: provide recommendations on potential platforms that would best house this resource package in the future
Student Assets and Skills (preferred or required)
- Organized, detail oriented, solid communications skills ability to put themselves in the shoes of others (ie what resources would a busy teacher find most helpful? How might that differ from a community partner? or parent?)
Are there any mandatory attendance dates (e.g. special event)?
- N/A, though there may be the potential for them to join some events that are tangential to this project (ie Learning Circles or Pro-d Day) pending event capacity and student interest.
Is a criminal record search (CRS) required?
- No
How much self-direction is expected from the students?
- Deciding on the project deliverable(s): Led by community partner
- Developing the activity plan and timeline: Mostly led by students, with some community partner input
- Scheduling and initiating the communication plan (e.g. weekly Zoom check-in, biweekly email update, etc.): Led by students
- Implementing the activity plan (e.g. surveying stakeholder groups): Equal leadership between students and community partner
- Finalizing the deliverable(s): Equal leadership between students and community partner
Preferred Days of Week and Hours
- Flexible
Related Community Service Opportunities for Students
- N/A - potential option to attend or help support Learning Circles or Pro-d day, but not confirmed
Required Reading
Project/Partner Orientation Materials
Students should review the following materials prior to the first partner meeting. Additional orientation materials may be provided at the first partner meeting.
- https://farmtoschoolbc.ca/ - especially the About, starting a program, and resources pages
- https://farmtoschoolbc.ca/network/regional-hubs/vancouver-region-farm-school-hub/
- Outdated but helpful info video on the F2SVA regional hub: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaQ8wV34ZIk
Expected Outcomes
Intended Short-term Project Outcome
Farm to school Vancouver Region Animator has an updated resource package to better support teachers and community partners to design and implement their F2S projects.
Learning Outcomes
Through this project, I think students will learn about...
- asset based community development farm to school activities in the Vancouver Region
By working on this project, I think students will develop skills and/or awareness of...
- the importance of translating and organizing large amounts of information into more user friendly mediums
- importance of communication and accessibility of resources for different audiences
By the end of the project, I believe students will come to appreciate...
- the wide variety of community partners and others supporting healthy school food + food literacy!