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ii REPORT CONTENTS Introduction 1 Overview 2010/2011 - UBC undergraduate students’ findings 3 Participating schools and associated projects 7 UBC courses descriptions and activities 9 UBC student activity report by school 17 - Kitsilano Secondary 19 - David Thompson Secondary 21 - Windermere Secondary 25 - Vancouver Technical Secondary 28 - Gladstone Secondary 30 - Britannia Secondary 33 - Sir Winston Churchill Secondary 34 - University Hill Secondary 34 - Queen Alexandra Elementary 36 - Sir William Van Horne Elementary 38 - General Brock Elementary 39 - Queen Elizabeth Elementary 40 - Tyee Elementary 41 - Sir Wilfred Grenfell Elementary 42 - David Lloyd George Elementary 43 - Graham Bruce Elementary 44 - Bayview Elementary 45 2010 –2011 - Grandview ¿uuqinak’uuh Elementary 47 - Sir John Franklin Elementary 50 - Simon Fraser Elementary 52 - Trafalgar Elementary 53 - L’Ecole Bilingue Elementary 55 Request for proposals and Summer Institute 2011 56

iii Think&EatGreen@School Photo: © Adam Blasberg

1 T he Think&EatGreen@School Project is a Community-University Research Alliance, partnering UBC, the Vancouver School Board and other organizations promoting change in what public school students eat, learn and do at school in relation to food, health and the environment (listed below). The project aims to engage students with the sources of their food through growing, preparing, sharing and sustainably managing food waste at school. Think&EatGreen@School aims to foster food citizenship by INTRODUCTION providing the entire community of learners—from students to professors, teachers to chefs, farmers, gardeners, restaurateurs, and nutrition and health professionals— with opportunities to participate in the development of healthy and sustainable school food systems During the first year of the project, close to 400 UBC undergraduate and graduate students worked in specific projects in 21 public schools in Vancouver, led by 30 co‐ investigators and partners from a wide range of disciplines and community‐based food, environment, health & education organizations. This report is a summary of the work con- ducted by the UBC undergraduate student teams in the 2010-11 academic year, the first one of Think&EatGreen@School. Needless to say, there is a spectrum of detail and articu- lation amongst the undergraduate team reports, and the leadership of Think&EatGreen@School does not necessarily share the views expressed in all of the reports. The UBC students have truly benefitted from the opportunity to move their learning outside of the lecture hall and into the community. Through this pedagogical exercise, the students have been exposed to the current literature on food, health and environment and sustainable food systems, participated in field trips to local farms and schools, and had the opportunity to work with Vancouver leaders in all aspects of food systems. They have been working closely with the most accomplished teachers, community gardeners, urban agriculturalists, chefs, restaurateurs, and restaurant designers. These activities will continue for at least the next five years. Incoming cohorts of UBC students will build upon and deepen the work of their colleagues from previous years, beginning where they left off, spending more time working in the project and in the schools. Through this iterative process, the project intends to deliver school specific projects and collect data regarding school programs and policies, teachers’ practices, and students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to food, health and the environment. The Think & Eat Green @ School project comprises a wide range of partners, described in five general categories:  Local community‐based organizations that focus on food security, sustainability, and related issues, including the Environmental Youth Alliance, the Society Promoting Environ-

2 mental Conservation, Growing Chefs, and Farm Folk/City Folk; of Canada;  Permanent city‐wide organizations and bodies, involved in 6. Sustainability, meaning that the food system does not damage the governance, service delivery and policy‐making, including the capacity of ecosystems to endure and support the permanent Vancouver School Board, the Vancouver Food Policy Council, and production and reproduction of food sources and the stability of food Vancouver Coastal Health; supply over time.  Provincial or national community‐based organizations, including Think&EatGreen@School addresses food system sustainability by ena- the Public Health Association of British Columbia, Canadian Centre for bling staff and students to influence how their food is produced and Policy Alternatives, and the Evergreen Foundation; where it comes from, through concrete school projects in areas of:  Individual city schools — 21 in the first iteration of the project in the  Food production at school (i.e. food gardens, composting and Fall 2010 and 23 schools by the end of Spring 2011; environmentally sound and productive disposal of end products);  University‐based partners, including 15 professors and 15 graduate  Food consumption, preparation and procurement at school (i.e. students from the University of British Columbia, 1 researcher from school food programs, cooking skills, and eating spaces, farm‐to‐ both Simon Fraser University and Ryerson University. school programs for fresh local food);  Curriculum and teaching and learning innovations aiming at inte- At UBC, partners include the Faculty of Land and Food Systems, the grated learning on the whole cycle of food systems, from production, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm, researchers from processing, transportation, distribution, consumption, and disposal of the Faculty of Education and from the schools of Landscape Architec- end food products (i.e. composing and recycling vs. “waste”) and ture, and Community and Regional Planning. impacts of health and environment; Food policy and institutional adaptation to climate change (policy The Think & Eat Green @ School Project builds on concepts of food and programs to support more healthy and sustainable food systems system sustainability, recognizing that the ways food is produced, at school). processed, packaged, transported, consumed, and disposed of have These concrete school projects involve collaborative learning amongst significant impact on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and our a multitude of players, from university students and researchers, health ecological footprint. The project also encompasses the concept of and educational institutions to a network of community‐based and food security, emphasizing that to achieve food security, all six of the community‐supported nonprofit organizations working on food, health, following components must be present: and the environment, linking farms to schools, city dwellers with farm- 1. Availability of enough safe and nutritious food for everybody; ers, school cooks with successful green chefs, restaurateurs, restaurant 2. Affordability, making it possible for all people to satisfy their food designers, gardeners, school authorities, teachers and students. needs within their purchasing power; 3. Accessibility of food or the ease with which people may obtain Schools are places where students can learn about the food system available food; by being engaged in growing, harvesting, preparing, cooking and 4. Acceptability, meeting diverse cultural and culinary needs, and eating food. Schools can significantly contribute to the greening of ethical standards of respect for human and animal lives in production their communities and neighbourhoods through the reduction of systems; greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and lightening of ecological foot- 5. Safety, meaning that the food supply meets the sanitary standards prints.

3 Land and Food Systems’ students envision a school where:  Parents, students and teachers are OVERVIEW findings: fully engaged and committed to sustainability within the school food system.  Elementary and high school students have the knowledge and abilities to make their own food at home to bring to school, where possible.  The school system supports and UBC undergraduate students’ teaches the development of food system skills and provides healthy, sustainable food and meal options at school Land and Food Systems’ student results:  Mostly reporting on: 1) School gardens / grounds & 2) School cafeterias / lunchrooms.  Students collected both qualita- tive and quantitative data.  Results varied between schools, 2010/2011 illustrating different realities and factors affecting school food systems.  Some findings may be trans- ferable between schools.  The findings are preliminary and will be subject to verification by incoming teams.

4 FINDINGS Strengths in school food systems 1. Food, environment, nutrition, and health are effective integrating topics to promote greener, more sustainable, and healthier school environments. 2. Most partner schools are actively working to improve school food system sustainability:  Many UBC students did not expect this level of support.  Many UBC students had not experienced attempts to bring schools into food sustainability as elementary and high school students. 3. Every partner school has at least one passionate stake- holder willing to put in time and energy into enhancing and promoting school food system sustainability:  Such stakeholders need to be supported. 4. Even when meal programs are in place, food brought from home is still generally predominant. 5. Parental influence on providing and encouraging healthier and more sustainable choices for their children at school is a key component of school food systems. 6. Excellent examples of food programs and facilities exist in some of the visited schools within the Vancouver School Board (VSB).

7 S CHOOL UBC C OURSE A CTIVITY Kitsilano LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan David Thompson LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan; Kitchen and Cafeteria Assessment; Menu Analysis: Food, Sustaina- bility, and Health LFS 350 Development of a School Wide PARTICIPATING Composting Program Schools and Associated Projects FNH 473 Sustainability Week SOYL Student Leadership and Sum- mer Garden Maintenance S E C O N DA RY S C H O O L S Windermere LFS 250 Curriculum Development; Kitchen and Cafeteria Assess- ment; Menu Analysis: Food, Sustainability, and Health FNH 473 Enhancement of School Wide Composting Program Vancouver Technical LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan SOYL Student Leadership and Sum- mer Garden Maintenance Gladstone LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan; Curriculum Development; Kitchen and Cafeteria Assessment; Menu Analysis: Food, Sustainability, and Health FNH 473 Garden Fiesta - Increasing Student Interest and Participa- tion in the School Garden Britannia SOYL Student Leadership and Sum- mer Garden Maintenance Sir Winston Churchill SOYL Student Leadership and Sum- mer Garden Maintenance University Hill LFS 450 Fostering Connections with the UBC Farm

8 S CHOOL UBC C OURSE A CTIVITY Queen Alexandra LFS 250 School Food Environment Assessment FNH 473 Assessing the Breakfast Program Sir William Van Horne LFS 250 School Food Environment Assessment General Brock LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan Queen Elizabeth LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan; School Food Environment Assess- ment Tyee LFS 250 Curriculum Development Sir Wilfred Grenfell LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management E L E M E N TA RY S C H O O L S Plan David Lloyd George LFS 250 School Food Environment Assessment LFS 350 Enhancing the Sustainability of a Lunch Program Graham D. Bruce LFS 350 Farm2School Salad Bar Program Bayview LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan Grandview/¿uuqinak’uuh LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Plan School Food Environment Assess- ment FNH 473 Incorporating a Salad Bar into the School Lunch Program Sir John Franklin LFS 250 School Food Environment Assessment FNH 473 Improving the Nutritional Status of Children through Snack Choice Simon Fraser LFS 250 School Food Environment Assessment Trafalgar LARC 503 Plan and Design an Outdoor Classroom and Enhanced School Environment APBI 402 Soil Testing and Analysis L’Ecole Bilingue LFS 250 Garden Maintenance & Management Photo: Office.com Plan

UBC STUDENTActivity Report by School 17 Photo: © Adam Blasberg

18 The project will help teach sustainability, engage all students and promote the positive impacts of connecting people , food and the environment. Photo: © InnerCity Farms Photo: © Adam Blasberg Photo: © InnerCity Farms

19 Kitsilano Secondary C. Solar Analysis: The garden bed next to the tennis courts has no objects or other vegetation blocking it, and therefore receives almost full sun throughout the year. The orchard garden however, is surrounded on sever- ve, 0t h A al sides by the school building. Its exposure to direct sunlight is therefore 55 0 W 1 2J6 ess: 2 C V6 K limited in the summer months and very limited during the winter months. Addr c.ca ncou ver B o.vsb.b Va tsilan D. Micro-climate Analysis: Due to the uniformity of the tennis court garden p://ki te: htt 1,434 Websi bed and its surroundings, there is little variance of heat and light through- tion: nt p opula s, out the bed. Due to its open concept, crops planted here will be more Stude tudie n ta l S tacts: vir on me vulnerable to wind damage. l C on s (En Schoo u ma i no lla D itsila The orchard garden, as previously stated is surrounded on three sides by hae ) ics, K -Rap ersion onom me E c the school building. This setup blocks most wind from the garden, and pro- h Im m r (Ho Frenc Hoove ) vides heat from the building to the garden, though the shade provided ryl - Che y Sch ool prevents it from getting very warm. Sec ondar E. Circulation Analysis: The tennis court garden is a long low strip that is easily accessible. Due to this layout there is a very low chance of it being tram- Student Activity - Garden Maintenance and Management Plans pled by those tending it, and it is unlikely that crops will be neglected as (LFS 250) they are all very easily reached. The orchard garden is very accessible, and is laid out in a way that makes Dates of Visit(s) - The UBC LFS 250 students visited Kitsilano Secondary circulation easy and straightforward. As can be seen in Figure 2 this area is School during the third week of November, 2010. very good in terms of access, circulation, and learning space. There are three entrances, lots of space to move around, and benches everywhere. Methods Trampling should not be an issue in this garden either. The undergraduate students completed a Garden Maintenance and F. Community Analysis: The community support behind the Kitsilano Sec- Management Plan analysis which involved making maps of the garden ondary School garden is very strong. SPEC plays the main role, providing area, conducting and analyzing a soil sample, performing a solar analysis, crops for planting. They also take part in lessons by taking a third of the a micro-climate analysis, a water analysis, a circulation analysis (looking at class out to the garden and instructing through a hands-on approach. the flow of traffic in and around the garden) and a community analysis, SPEC is also very involved with Kitsilano’s garden in the summer. They work which looks at the strengths and areas for improvement for the support with Sprouting Chefs to teach kids about healthy eating and cooking given to the garden from the community. choices. General Findings The garden at Kitsilano Secondary mainly benefits the Grade 9 French Im- Kitsilano Secondary has two separate garden areas; the garden bed and mersion Ecology students who maintain, nurture, and use the produce the orchard garden (see Garden Diagrams). grown in the garden. With the limited space of the garden it is difficult to equally delegate tasks to 90 students when 10 can do all the work. A. Soil Analysis: The garden bed and the orchard garden both contain sandy loam soil. This soil type is almost ideal as it is very porous and has lots Recommendations of surface area making it good for aeration and drainage; however, it is Through the above analysis, it was determined that with the full sun, warm fairly poor at holding nutrients. micro-climate and shallow root depth, crops like basil, corn, blueberries, B. Water Analysis: Both of the garden locations at Kitsilano Secondary are raspberries, melons, oats, and wheat could be planted in the garden bed easily watered by tap-and-hose systems. The tennis court plot is relatively for the summer season. The current winter crop selection; cauliflower, broc- flat, with good drainage and is thus unlikely to suffer from pooling problems. coli, kale, rye, peas, lettuce and cabbage, are quite appropriate but

20 could also be supplemented with winter wheat. It was noted that if partial Garden Diagrams shade were provided for the garden by the tennis court, a greater variety of crops could be planted. Also, planting legumes in either location would lower the need for fertilizer and associated costs, making the garden more economi- cally sustainable. With a good variety of crops, the students can not only grow and learn about the different plants but also benefit from a well-rounded diet. Overall it was determined that the garden for the Grade 9 French Immersion Ecology class is an excellent educational tool to inform students on how to create a more sustainable lifestyle. However, currently the garden only reaches a small number of students. Fortunately, Kitsilano Secondary is already planning to expand the garden. That is a great step! Once the garden is expanded, it will be possible, and very beneficial, to incorporate more classes, especially those outside of the French immersion program. This would expand the garden’s impact to more students and, in turn, more families. It is even possible to begin this process before the garden expansion is complete. One suggestion to do this would be to incorporate the garden into other classes, such as biology. Experiments such as viewing different splices of vegetables under a microscope to observe their cells could be used to do this. The garden could be used to support learning in topics ranging from mitosis to general botany. Using vegetables produced in the garden for Circulation analysis, solar analysis, micro-climates analysis, and water analysis of the tennis court garden. these experiments would take only a handful of produce, while also including a greater number of students. Courses with less directly related content can be involved as well. For example, a math class could take the measurements needed for the planned expansion, and a shop class could be involved in building the garden boxes for the new site. There are many ways to use a school garden, and Kitsilano Secondary has a good opportunity to expand its garden program alongside the expansion of the physical garden. Circulation analysis, solar analysis, micro-climate analysis, and water analysis of the orchard courtyard garden.

38 Sir William Van Horne rate into the school food system. Sir William Van Horne also has a garden and healthy eating and food preparation lessons to help students learn Elementary where food comes from and also how to make informed healthy eating choices. The LFS students found that the school is limited by funding for many of these programs and challenged by time constraints required for ess: eet the planning and implementation of those programs by teachers and staff A d d r ntario Str 5W 2L8 5 O r, BC V 585 uve members who wish to help as all of this falls outside of their job description Vanco 96 5 and allotted teaching time. The students also found that the time allotted 13-4 (6 04) 7 67 for lunch was not enough. The eating areas needed improvements in illu- hone: 49 Telep 04) 713- mination and temperature. Overall, the LFS students believe that Sir William ax: (6 ~4 0 0 F tion: Van Horne is interested in improvements to make the school system more nt P opula Stude 010) secure and sustainable. ts: al) uly 2 lC ontac r incip un til J Schoo on (P cipal Recommendations Johns ( P r i n r) -D enise l l ot t e ch e There are numerous resources and strategies available to help Sir William tt i P s (Tea - Pa e Prin eacher) Van Horne enhance the food security and sustainability programs currently iann - Mar Cassi dy (T cher) in place. The Think & Eat Green @ School community partners, including Yvette i (Tea ader) - Ge rman A C Le Growing Chefs (http://www.growingchefs.ca/) and Sustainable Opportuni- - Mary an da (P ties for Youth Leadership (SOYL), can help the teachers and administrators e Mir - Dav at Sir William Van Horne work to incorporate food security and sustainability into the curriculum and enhance the existing garden and healthy eating and food preparation lessons. Additionally there are a number of Student Activity - School Food Environment Assessment (LFS 250) initiatives through the Think & Eat Green @ School project, such as the Summer Institute and Sustainable Mini Grants, which can provide profes- Dates of Visit(s) - The students visited the school for data collection the sional development opportunities, networking opportunities, and funding. third week of November. Some specific suggestions for the school include providing areas to eat outside near the garden to enhance the eating areas and raise awareness Methods about garden initiatives. Also, we suggest that the school works with local The methods used for data collection included informal interviews with various suppliers to find a more consistent source of organic local produce. Also, it stakeholders and field observation/notes. The questions asked during the inter- seems very important to enhance garden production and work to incor- view included: “Does your administration support healthy eating? How?” and porate some of the food produced into the lunch program. In general, we “Does your school have or follow any written policies that promote healthy recommend that the PAC considers ways to improve the hot lunch eating?” The interviewed stakeholders included the principal, vice-principal, program to include more nutritionally and environmentally sustainable three teachers, and two lunch supervision aids. The observations took place food choices. throughout the day and included observation during lunchtime for both the kindergarten students, who eat separately, and the older children. General Findings The LFS students found that there is a great interest at Sir William Van Horne in finding ways to improve food consumption and disposal practices in the school, including its food related cultural awareness. The school’s recycling program was very accessible and effective. The LFS students noticed some efforts by the food providers at school to include new items and meet the school more varied cultural preferences. Sir William Van Horne also provides a milk program to include more calcium and other nutrients into the student’s diet. The BC Fruits and Vegetable program is also in effect but the program’s sporadic delivery of food to the school makes it difficult to consistently incorpo-

39 General Brock Elementary cold, nor is the climate dry, the garden is not particularly affected. Pots closest to the tunnel will likely be the most affected by strong winds coming from the Southeast in April and July. In July, these plants might dry out due t. ain S to the combination of drier climate and wind exposure. 60 M 3R8 es s : 48 V5 V Soil is of good quality, consisting of organic soil with bark compost and A d d r uver, BC anco 245 sand, plus organic fertilizer. V .713.5 hon e: 6 0 4 5 Telep : ~2 1 lation Recommendations nt Popu Stude tacts: rincipal) According to conversations between PAC contacts and UBC students, the l C on Schoo (P dams eacher) Parent Advisory Committee has suggested more green space. Parent A Bruce Wong (T cher) - (Tea involvement should therefore be encouraged for garden upkeep. -E r ni e e C o l v i n T e a c h e r ) rin n ( The school could encourage social gathering around garden boxes by - N o a n B a rt o Chair) - S u s en (PAC installing more benches closer to the garden (currently there are two in the Ch - CL general area of the garden). Moving the SPEC-initiated garden boxes to the other garden area might also help to improve the visual appeal of the space, as well as allowing for more consistent exposure to sunlight. The gravel sports field (which is not often used) is another potential area to Student Activity - Garden Maintenance and Management Plan (LFS which the SPEC garden boxes could be moved. It is also highly recom- 250) mended that interested staff and teachers attend that Think&EatGreen@School Summer Institute, which will greatly facilitate the Dates of Visit(s) - Visits took place during the third week of November, incorporation of the garden into the school’s curriculum and programming. 2010. Please see the end of this report for details. UBC students who performed the water analysis recommend a rain barrel Methods and/or watering cans for more efficient and effective irrigation. More The undergraduate students completed a Garden Maintenance and parent volunteer or community involvement is needed to ensure consistent Management Plan analysis which involved making maps of the garden watering throughout summer months. area, conducting and analyzing a soil sample, performing a solar analysis, Drought-resistant plants could be planted in the Southeast corners of the a micro-climate analysis, a water analysis, a circulation analysis (looking at plant boxes to help make survival during hotter, drier summer months more the flow of traffic in and around the garden) and a community analysis, likely. A windbreak could also be helpful for protecting this area. which looks at the strengths and areas for improvement for the support given to the garden from the community. Loam soil would increase plant health and yield. The soil is sufficient, but nitrogen availability needs to be maintained by continuing to plant cover General Findings crops. Increased use of the compost system by students is advisable; stu- It was found that there was little circulation (foot traffic) around the dents, staff, as well as community partners could be involved in promoting garden, since few students spend time around the garden and usually go composting at school. Also, the composters could be moved closer to the to the playground instead. garden area itself. The garden was in a less-than-ideal location for sunlight, as the garden is Sugar beets, oats, wheat, onions, leeks, chard, parsley, cilantro, cauliflow- shielded from sunlight by surrounding buildings. Box one receives the most ers, brussel sprouts, rhubarb, turnips and kale would be good additions to sunlight, and box four receives the least. The most sun is received during the garden. the morning since there are no obstructions to the easterly sky. During winter months when the sun is lower, sunlight decreases dramatically. Some plants were more susceptible to water loss due to their exposure to sun and wind flow. In May, August, and September, strong wind from the Northwest is partially blocked by the school building, and since temperatures are not particularly

40 Queen Elizabeth Elementary (apple/plum), berries, kiwis and grape vines. An issue to keep in mind is pending construction around the portable schoolrooms. There is a Green School program for teachers, and potentially the teachers enue th Av from the adjoining Jules Quesnel School could become involved in that as est 16 102 W R 3E3 / well. However, it was found that there is not always consensus on what ess: 4 V6 .bc.ca A d d r uver, BC th.vsb ‘healthy living’ entails, so there is room for increased connections and el izabe Vanco queen collaborations between initiatives and projects. The school participates in ttp:// 2 Webs ite: h : ~ 40 the BC Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program. Parents and Kindergardeners lation nt Popu maintain the garden over the summers. Compost receptacles are present, Stude tacts: Principal) Garden but not in use. l C on ( Schoo a Procter (Teacher, Soil from the prospective garden plot has a sandy loam texture. Water taps - Donn ha Tousaw as ir ) are far from the prospective garden area, and hoses are becoming worn - Nat inator) C Cha C oord Taylor (PA out. There may be excessive water in the depressed garden area, and this e - Jan also creates limited opportunities for seating, so that students could be encouraged to sit and enjoy the garden. During summer, the garden received sunlight from 7:30 – 18:00, and during fall at noon. There is one main footpath to the garden, and minimal risk of children stepping on or Student Activity - Garden Maintenance and Management Plan (LFS 250) damaging plants. Wind protection is provided by portable classrooms and School Food Environment Assessment (LFS 250) the tree line. Dates of Visit(s) - From July 12, 2010 until August 20, 2010 Methods The undergraduate students completed a Garden Maintenance and Manage- ment Plan analysis which involved making maps of the garden area, conducting and analyzing a soil sample, performing a solar analysis, a micro-climate analysis, a water analysis, a circulation analysis (looking at the flow of traffic in and around the garden) and a community analysis, which looks at the strengths and areas for improvement for the support given to the garden from the community. The methods used for data collection in the School Food Environment Assess- ment included informal interviews with various stakeholders and field observa- SOIL COMPOSITION tion/notes. The questions asked during the interview included: “Does your administration support healthy eating? How?” and “Does your school have or follow any written policies that promote healthy eating?” The interviewed stakeholders included the principal, vice-principal, three teachers, and two lunch supervision aids. The observations took place throughout the day and included observation during lunchtime for both the kindergarten students, who eat separately, and the older children. General Findings UBC student assessors noted that the organic food/herb garden at Queen Elizabeth consists of several outdoor boxes, and that there are some learning opportunities associated with these gardens. There is the potential for developing a garden plot in addition to the boxes, but irrigation could be an issue since SUMMER SUNLIGHT WIND PROTECTION hoses are difficult to haul. Adults would have to be responsible for watering unless alternatives could be developed. Also, there are plans plant fruit trees

REQUESTS Institutefor Proposals and Summer 2011 56 Photo: Office.com

57 REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS a Become Think&EatGreen School The Think&EatGreen@School Project is a Community-University Research 1. Application to be a Think&EatGreen School and receive a grant of Alliance promoting change in what public school students eat, learn and up to $2,000 do at school in relation to food, health and the environment. The project 2. Additional application to bring the “farm” into your Think&EatGreen aims to engage students with the sources of their food through growing, School to receive an additional $1,500 Farm to School grant preparing, sharing and managing food waste at school. 3. Enrolment in the Think&EatGreen@School Summer Institute on July 4- Think&EatGreen@School aims to foster food citizenship by providing the 6, 2011 entire community of learners—from students to professors, teachers to chefs, farmers, gardeners, restaurateurs, and nutrition and health profes- 1. Application to be a Think&EatGreen School sionals— with opportunities to participate in the development of healthy Benefits of Participation and sustainable school food systems. Your school can participate by  Ability to receive up to $3,500 for food system projects (through becoming a “Think&EatGreen School” and receive a grant of up to $2,000 Think&EatGreen@School Small Grants and Farm to School funds); and other support to implement food initiatives at your school.  Participation in a cohort / community of learners aiming at creating The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC), a key community partner in a healthy and sustainable food system within the Vancouver School Board; the Think&EatGreen@School Project, has also secured funds from Vancity enviroFund to support Farm to School programs. The goal of PHABC’s Farm  Participation in professional development opportunities including the Think&EatGreen@School Summer Institute; to School initiative is to increase access to fresh, nutritious, locally-grown foods on school premises and to build the local food economy. First, a  Access to community and UBC expertise; relationship is developed between a school and local farmers. The farmers  Support of UBC students to implement your projects. then grow and harvest food to sell to the school where it is prepared and Criteria to be a Think&EatGreen School dished up to students. Additional opportunities for farmers to share their Preference will be given to schools that can demonstrate the following: knowledge of food and agriculture with students, staff and volunteers are  A working team of 3 or more, composed of teachers and staff com- created. PHABC seeks to bring the “Farm” into Think&EatGreen Schools. We mitted to strengthening the connections within the food system at are asking applicants demonstrate an appreciation of local farms, local their school (teachers, administration, support staff, food service foods and local food systems by integrating these concepts into their staff, maintenance staff, students and parents may be included); proposed Think&EatGreen@School program. Minimally applicants must  A commitment to initiatives that ‘close the food loop’ by seeking to commit to providing local and sustainably produced foods in a school make connections between different aspects of the food system lunch program. PHABC will provide an additional $1,500 and other (i.e. growing, preparing, sharing and managing waste) at school; supports for this purpose.  Participation of a team in the Think&EatGreen@School Summer Institute in July; This application has several opportunities for interested schools:  Partnerships (with community-based organizations and/or other schools);

58  Willingness to involve UBC students and facilitate their involvement in the  Projects that establish links between schools and farms for healthier development of food system activities and projects at your school; school meal programs and cafeteria menus and learning opportuni-  Willingness to participate in research aimed at developing a healthy ties. and sustainable school food system;  Release time for teachers and staff to collaborate, develop and  Commitment to participate in the project for 2 years. implement proposed activities  Celebrations around food (e.g. a food day or food week at school). It is understood that no one school may meet all of the criteria; however, applications that demonstrate that they are able to satisfy as many of the above  Artistic projects related to food systems issues (including videos, points as possible will be given priority. Applications with large teams and pro- multi-media, painting, music, theatres). jects that emphasize integration within the food system will be eligible for larger To apply grants (up to $2,000). Applications that are smaller in scope will be eligible for Please send an email to info@thinkeatgreen.ca to let us know that you are smaller grants. planning to apply. When the following application form is complete, email or mail it to: Eligible for Think&EatGreen@School Small Grants (up to $2,000) Think&EatGreen@School has set aside $20,000 from the Social Sciences & Mailing Address: Application: Think&EatGreen@School Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRCC) for supporting small MCML 179 - 2357 Main Mall Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4 projects in Vancouver schools in the 2011-2012 school year. If you are eligible, Email: info@thinkeatgreen.ca these small grants are available to help you start-up, expand, or improve school projects in the areas of food production, waste management, food All applications must be received no later than May 13. Schools will be notified about their application by the end of May. Further questions or preparation, and teaching and learning activities. inquiries can be directed to info@thinkeatgreen.ca. Some possible projects could include: 2. Additional Application to Bring the “Farm” into your  Food production including gardens and orchards. Think&EatGreen School  Composting and other waste management projects. Additional Benefits of Participation in Farm to School  Cooking and other culinary / food preparation activities involving students.  Additional $1,500 grant;  Teaching and learning that connect food, health, and the environment  Support from a farm liaison to provide connections for purchases of foods from local farms and farm field trips; across the curriculum.  Spring training session with farmers, chefs, evaluation consultants,  Projects that establish links between growing, preparing and eating food etc. to help start the program; at school with new curriculum and ways of teaching and learning.  Registration at a Farm-to-You conference in November;  Programs that provide healthy and sustainable foods for students.  Program evaluation and support;  Education materials and tools for teachers and farmers;

59  Membership and participation in a supportive Farm to School net- To apply work with links to others Farm to School leads. Please ensure the following application form is complete and then email it Additional Criteria for Participation in Farm to School or mail it to: Preference will be given to schools that can demonstrate the following: Mailing Address: Application: Think&EatGreen@School  Increases the amount of local food served in schools by 15% or MCML 179 - 2357 Main Mall more; Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4  Ability to integrate connections to farms and the food system into Email: info@thinkeatgreen.ca. the classroom and school environment; All applications must be received no later than May 13. Schools will be  Supports at least one local farm; notified about their application by the end of May.  Ensures the lunch is offered minimally 24 times before the end of the Please note that an offer of participation in this Farm to School initiative will 2011/12 school year; and 40 times in 2012/13; be contingent upon a site visit by the Selection Committee. Further  Is environmentally friendly (e.g. reuse of materials, waste reduction, questions or inquiries specifically related to Farm to School can be directed recycling, composting); to sarah.carten@vch.ca.  Ensures equitable access to all children in the school, regardless of means. 3. Participation in the Summer Institute Eligible For Farm to School Grant The Think&EatGreen@School Summer Institute will focus on food security and sustainability issues in collaboration and partnership with teachers, Funding has been received through Vancity enviroFund to support administrators, staff and students from Vancouver School Board schools. programs in Vancouver, Richmond and West Vancouver and 3 enthusiastic The Institute is aimed at finding collaborative solutions to increase the schools in Vancouver are now being sought to participate. knowledge and understanding of the connections between food, health  Kitchen equipment (e.g. food processors, soup pots, dishes, serving and the environment across the food system in the schools. A combination spoons, knives, soap and towel dispensers, etc). of plenaries and streamed workshops and activities will be relevant to both  Honorariums for coordination and/or costs related to volunteer elementary and secondary schools and curriculums. Workshops and activi- appreciation. ties will focus on different components of the school food system: including food gardens and orchards; composting and waste management; food  Educational Resources or costs, including farm field trips +/- farm procurement, preparation and consumption; curriculum and pedagogical honoraria, teaching resources, etc. innovations; and school food policies.  Food costs for the initial start up week or food for taste tests. The Summer Institute will be held at the first week of July, from Monday, July  Training, including Food Safe training. 4th to Wednesday, July 6th. Workshops and hands-on, experiential activities The funds cannot be used for: over three days at UBC will follow the different components of the food cycle at school, including making connections to curriculum and  Ongoing food costs. Experience has demonstrated that Farm to pedagogy as well as school food policy. Participants will rotate through School lunches can generate funds! different themes including:  Ongoing coordination costs;

60  Hands in the Soil: Food production and composting.  Cooking and Eating Together: Food preparation and consumption.  Connections to the Classroom: Integration of the food cycle into curriculum and action plans. To apply The registration form can be found on the Vancouver School Board website, under ‘Sustainability’ on the Professional Development Current Opportunities page, or directly at: http://www2.vsb.bc.ca/vsbprograms/prod/register.htm? page=workshopdetails&workshopid=1238 The Think & Eat @ School Project is supported by a Strategic Research Grant on the Environment from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canadas CURA Program. Partners: Public Health Associa on of BC

Full report available at: http://www.thinkeatgreen.ca/2010-2011

ACT LOCALLYThe Think & Eat Green @ School project will be a success when (many) The Think & Eat Green @ School project comprises a wide range ofschools embrace an explicit orientation toward human and environmental partners, described in five general categories:health and food system sustainability. - Local community-based organizations that focus on food security, sustainability, and related issues, including the Environmental Youth Alliance, Farm Folk/City Folk, Growing Chefs, and the Society for the Promotion of Environmental Conservation. - Permanent city-wide organizations and bodies, involved in governance, service delivery and policy-making, including the Vancouver School Board, the Vancouver Food Policy Council, and Vancouver Coastal Health;The objective of the project is to contribute to regional food system sustain- - Provincial or national community-based organizations, including theability and institutional adaptations to climate change. By working with schools Public Health Association of British Columbia, Canadian Centre for Policyand a community of learners involved in community-based and school-based Alternatives, and the Evergreen Foundation;projects, we will develop healthy, sustainable school food systems that include: - Individual city schools — 21 in the first iteration of the project in the Fall 2010 √ Food and environment education across the curriculum and 23 schools by the end of Spring 2011; √ School gardens that produce food to be consumed in schools - University-based partners, including UBC, Simon Fraser University, and √ Functioning food waste compost and recycling systems Ryerson University (including their multiple units). At UBC, partners include the √ Food programs that provide safe, healthy, and sustainable food for Faculties of Community and Regional Planning, Education, Landscape Architec- students ture, Land and Food Systems, and the UBC Farm.Main activities: Working with the most accomplished teachers, community gardeners, urban agriculturalists, chefs, restaurateurs, restaurant designers and University of British Columbia builders in Vancouver school communities & partnering with teachers, Faculty of Land and Food Systems students and parents. 107-2357 Main Mall Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z4 Involving over 300 UBC undergraduate and graduate students per year in the next five years to collaborate on school specific projects and collect Tel: 604 731 3146 data regarding school programs and policies, teachers’ practices, and Email: melena1@interchange.ubc.ca students’ knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. Web: www.thinkeatgreen.ca Collaborating with more than 25 co-investigators from a wide range of With the financial support: disciplines and community-based food, environment, health & education organizations. Using their experience, expertise, and existing community connections to enhance, deepen, and support existing and future food system sustainability projects. www.thinkeatgreen.ca

THINK & EAT GREEN @ SCHOOL T hink & Eat Green @ School is a Community-University Research Alliance promoting change in what children eat, learn and do at school in relation to food, health, the environment, and sustain-ability. By working closely with school authorities, teachers, parents, and youth, theproject aims to reconnect students with the sources of their food. Think & Eat Green @ School addresses food system sustainability by enabling staff and students to influence how their food is produced and where it comes from, through concrete school projects in areas of:  Food production at school (i.e. food gardens, composting and disposal of end products);The Think & Eat Green @ School Project builds on concepts of food system  Food consumption, preparation and procurement at school (i.e. schoolsustainability, recognizing that the ways food is produced, processed, packaged, food programs and eating spaces);transported, consumed, and disposed of have significant impact on greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions and our ecological footprint. The project also encompasses the  Curriculum (teaching and learning) innovations aiming at integratedconcept of food security, emphasizing that to achieve food security, all six of the learning on the whole cycle of food systems, from production,following components must be present: processing, transportation, distribution, consumption, and disposal of end food products (i.e. composting and recycling vs. “waste”); 1. Availability of enough safe and nutritious food for a given population;  Food policy and institutional adaptation to climate change (policy and Think & Eat Green @ School provides opportunities for students and staff at 2. Affordability, making it possible for all people to satisfy their food needs programs to support more healthy and sustainable food systems). all levels to reconnect with the sources of their food and to see food as the grand connector of all aspects of human life, including our relationships with each other within their purchasing power; These concrete school projects involve collaborative learning amongst a multi- and with nature. 3. Accessibility of food or the ease with which a population may obtain tude of players, from university students and researchers, health and educational institutions to a network of community-based and community-supported non- available food; and profit organizations working on food, health, and the environment, linking farms 4. Acceptability and use of food, or meeting cultural and culinary needs, to schools, city dwellers with farmers, school cooks with successful green chefs, Learning and acting to address global including having skills to properly utilize food; restaurateurs, restaurant designers, gardeners, school authorities, teachers and problems at the local level is where ordinary students. people can make a direct difference. 5. Safety, meaning that the food supply meets the sanitary standards of Schools are places where children can learn about the food system by being Canada; engaged in growing, harvesting, preparing, cooking and eating food. Schools can Think & Eat Green @ School fosters food citizenship by providing the entire 6. Sustainability, meaning that the food system does not damage the significantly contribute to the greening of their communities and neighbour- community of learners—from pupils to professors, teachers to chefs, farmers, capacity of ecosystems to endure and support the permanent production hoods through the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to the light- gardeners, restaurateurs, and nutrition and health professionals—with opportu- and reproduction of food sources and the stability of food supply over time. ening of its ecological footprint. nities to be involved in all aspects of the food system to learn how to participate in decisions that shape the food system of public schools and educational institutions, and by extension, the food system of the local communities and the City of Vancouver. Approximately 45% of food consumed in Photo credits: InnerCityFarms and BC is imported. Climate change and other Think&Eat Green project Think & Eat Green @ School addresses the question of how the hundreds of global issues therefore affect the food thousands of people that comprise complex institutions, such as the public school system, can participate in a process of social learning, creation and action to system sustainability of BC communities. influence the food system and contribute to a transition to sustainability.

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