Nova Scotia School Food Fund
Reaching the Full Potential of School Food in Nova Scotia
At the start of the 2024/25 school year, school food programs in Nova Scotia expanded significantly through a monumental investment by the Province of Nova Scotia in a universally accessible School Lunch Program.
The program launched with a focus on elementary students and is being expanded to junior high students for the 2025/26 school year. A final phase of development will support expansion to all grades. As the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program grows, we want to ensure that it becomes the best program it can be, with major positive impacts for students and the whole province. Nourish Nova Scotia has launched a dedicated School Food Fund that will help to ensure that schools are well-equipped to prepare, cook, and serve high-quality meals and that as many students as possible can benefit from nutritious food at school.
Nova Scotia School Food Fund
Since the launch of the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program, student participation has been over 50%, and in some schools, up to 100% of students are ordering and enjoying school lunches.
With high uptake levels, the continued rising costs of food, and significant gaps in school food infrastructure, it will take more support to ensure that school food programs can serve more students in Nova Scotia, with regional menus that prioritize local food. The Nova Scotia School Food Fund is an opportunity for community members, organizations, and local businesses to provide vital support and help ensure the long-term success of school food programs in Nova Scotia. Alongside critical investments from the Province of Nova Scotia, we can build on current momentum to create meaningful impact for students and the whole province.
Donate to the Nova Scotia School Food Fund
By donating to the School Food Fund, 100% of your donation will go directly to support the delivery of school food programs in Nova Scotia. This means that Nourish Nova Scotia will not keep any portion of your gift and will direct it to:
- Food purchases that will support a growing number of students participating in the program, with menus that support diverse student needs and prioritize local food.
- Critical infrastructure upgrades to enable schools to prepare, cook and serve meals and snacks for a growing student body.
- School food infrastructure that can strengthen student engagement and learning in school food programs.
If you would like to discuss how your donation to the School Food Fund can make a targeted impact for students, or support a program in a particular school or region, please reach out to one of our team members to discuss the options:
- Lindsay Corbin, School Food Project Co-Lead: lindsay.corbin@nourishns.ca
School Food vs. School lunch
School food programs can include breakfast, lunch and snacks. Some schools have all of these and some only have one. All schools in Nova Scotia have a universal free breakfast program.
The Nova Scotia School Lunch program is one part of the school food program in Nova Scotia public schools. The program launched at the start of the 2024/25 school year with a focus on elementary students. It is being expanded to junior high students for the 2025/26 school year, with plans to include all grades in the next phase of development.
What People Have to Say About Lunch!
Since the launch of the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program, we’ve been gathering stories from students, school staff, and everyone who helps make the program possible—from local producers and delivery drivers to food service workers. Here’s what some of them have to say!
“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.”