K to A: Green Acre Elementary School

The Green Acre Elementary School’s Grade 7/8 Practical Applied Arts teacher provided students with the knowledge and opportunity to grow their own food and create healthy and nutritious meals. Students learned how to grow and can produce from a garden they helped plant. They also learned about nutrition and how to prepare home-made meals with teachers noting among students “an increased understanding of preparing a healthy, well-balanced
meal.” Additionally, there was an increase in youth cooking at home. Partnering with the wellness coordinator, school community council members, and parent volunteers, the Grade 7/8 class also prepared healthy hot lunches for students and school staff. Youth “went from needing a lot of help with the process of planning and preparing hot lunch to doing it all themselves for the final cook-off.” “It was amazing to see the grade 7/8 class take pride in cooking for & serving their fellow classmates & teachers. It was encouraging to see them step up & become more responsible (setting up tables, doing dishes, being the last ones to eat because they were serving the food).”