Meet The Network
BC is home to a large network of passionate school food advocates and program providers, including but not limited to NGOs, parents, teachers, school staff, administrators, trustees, community members, health professionals, knowledge holders, and students!
Our BC Chapter members include local, regional and provincial non-profit organizations – many of which run school lunch, snack, or other nutrition or food literacy programs. Learn more about how to become a member here.
Our BC Chapter endorsers include school districts, municipalities, and stakeholder associations such as the BC School Trustees Association, BC Confederation of Parent Advisory Councils, BC Teachers Federation, and others. Learn more about how to endorse the Coalition here.
Local/Regional members
Local/Regional endorsers
Provincial members
Provincial endorsers
School food programs in bc
A “school food program” refers to any program that provides food to students at school on a regular basis. There’s no one way to run a school food program - examples of different models include grab ‘n go fruit and vegetable programs, assemble-and-serve breakfast programs, salad bars, scratch-cooked meals prepared by culinary arts students, externally catered lunch programs, and more.
Check out these school food programs developed by school food champions in BC:
Indigenous-led School Food Programs in BC
Indigenous students in BC access school food programs in a variety of ways, depending on which type of school they’re attending:
Unlike BC public schools, who receive funding from the BC Ministry of Education, First Nations schools on reserve receive funding from the Government of Canada via the BC Tripartite Education Agreement (BCTEA).
In 2023, the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) negotiated with the federal government to secure additional funding for First Nations schools in the 2023/2024 school year, proportional to the funding received by BC public schools for Feeding Futures programs.
Anecdotally, a large majority of First Nations schools have food programs and this additional funding can be used to support and bolster these programs.
In addition to First Nations schools, many Indigenous students access food programs at public schools. These programs may or may not include cultural teachings or traditional Indigenous foods.
While traditional Indigenous food systems continue to be disrupted, the resiliency of Indigenous communities is evident through the retention and teaching of traditional food practices and cultures, including in schools and in community.
For inspiration on how to embed Indigenous food teachings and practices into meal programs, check out this webinar recap and the Indigenous School Food Circle for more resources and information.
Explore Indigenous-led school food programs and stories on the Indigenous School Food Circle Map!