Coalition for Healthy School Food
Advocating for School Food
The Coalition for Healthy School Food is the largest school food network in Canada. Over 330 non-profit member organizations and over 144 endorsers from every province and territory have come together to advocate for a universal cost-shared school food program for Canada that follows the Coalition’s 8 Guiding Principles.
Organizations in some provinces have also stepped up to create Chapters, which provide local leadership to build networks engaged in provincial and federal advocacy. Nourish Nova Scotia hosts and coordinates the activities of the Nova Scotia Chapter.
Until 2024, Canada was the only G7 country without a national school food program and Nova Scotia did not have a universally accessible school lunch program. The Coalition for Healthy School Food was instrumental in advocating for the National School Food Program and Policy, and the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program. We applaud both governments for taking important action on school food. We also recognize that it will take time and ongoing advocacy to ensure these new programs realize their full potential.
By joining and engaging in the work of the national Coalition for Healthy School Food and the Nova Scotia Chapter, you can help ensure that diverse voices are heard and effective action is taken to advocate for improvements to school food programs in order to meet the needs of students and communities.
Get Involved
Become a Member
Membership is free and is open to non-profit organizations including co-ops and social enterprises, unions and networks made up of non-profit organizations. Members meet at least 4 times per year and receive regular updates on advocacy efforts, school food research and best practices.
Endorse the Coalition for Healthy School Food
Endorsers are organizations who are not eligible for membership, but who want to support the work of the Coalition. These include government bodies, entities at ‘arm’s-length’ from government (ie. community health boards, school advisory councils, and health authorities), as well as non-profit organizations.
Join the Network of the Nova Scotia Chapter
The Network meets 2-3 times per year to hear updates from the Steering Committee of the NS Chapter and add their voice to inform advocacy efforts. They can also contribute by participating in ad hoc working groups created to advance priorities of the Chapter.
Sign up for #SpeakUp News
Published 3-4 times per year to provide updates on the work of the NS Chapter and share opportunities for subscribers to advocate for school food at various levels of government.
As part of our “Stories from the Ground” series on School Food, here’s what students and the school community are saying:
“I wanted to highlight a great example of collaboration and integration between our food service staff and students at Islands. Lawna Sullivan and Cheryl Boushey have been working closely with Grade 5 students on a project that connects classroom learning with the Provincial Lunch Program. The students gathered data on meal preferences and created charts and graphs to showcase their findings. This initiative not only helps students develop important skills like data collection and analysis, but it also strengthens the connection between food services and the school community. It’s fantastic to see our food service staff engaging with students in such a meaningful way, helping them understand the role of nutrition and meal planning in their daily lives.”
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School Food Program Lead
“I’m a grade 5 teacher at a rural school, and the lunch program is going really well here! Students are trying new things and are excited when their favourite meals come around. The salad bar is a huge hit as well. I love that there is no longer a scramble to make sure everyone has a lunch. Every student is welcome to eat, no questions asked. It may seem like a small thing but it really means so much.”
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Teacher
“Beyond access to food, this program has also encouraged students to try new foods and expand their palates. Kids who were once considered picky eaters are finishing their meals and even asking for extra vegetables! I’ve seen students excitedly encouraging their friends to try something new, which is amazing to witness.”
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School Food Program Lead
“Love love love it! It’s made my life so much easier and my kids have loved it! I can not express for very moms how helpful this is! It’s truly worth every penny, there’s been like 2 things my oldest hasn’t liked, so far both my kids (6 and 9) have liked it!”
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Parent
“Overall, this year has been about building the systems, partnerships, and production capacity needed to support large-scale school lunch delivery in HRM, while keeping as much of the program as possible rooted in the local community. This work continues as we learn more and more about each individual school we work with, tailoring to their needs so that this program has as much success as possible.”