breakfast for learning Northwest Territories

In this school year (2010-11), Breakfast for Learning Northwest Territories is providing funding and support to school-based breakfast, lunch and snack programs in 47 of the 49 schools in the Northwest Territories. These nutrition grants provide healthy food to over 5,360 students, or approximately half of the student population in the territory.

We are currently funding nutrition programs not just in every NWT community, but in every school that needs it.

"Given our location, accessing fresh fruits and vegetables is always an issue.  The management of the local store simply refuses to stock fresh fruit and other healthy items because of the difficulty in properly handling of the product and the extra work involved in ordering on a regular basis.  They depend on high margin poor quality food and cigarettes to maintain profit levels.

As a result we are generally relegated to purchasing out of town when we are traveling on personal business.  This means usually stockpiling non-perishables like canned goods, frozen and dried fruits, nuts, low sugar/fat granola, cheeses etc.  This, while acceptable, is unfortunate as there is nothing our students like more than a fresh fruit salad or fresh veggies and dip.  When we do go out on occasion, we always purchase a case of apples/oranges and other fruits with a somewhat more extended shelf life.

Another issue is that should we be able to access product here in Nahanni Butte, the cost is astronomically high.  Driving 3 and a half hours south generally will reduce costs by up to 50%.

That all being said, the program is greatly appreciated by students who look forward to their daily healthy snack, something many otherwise would not have.  If it were the case that we discontinued the program I think the majority of students would still bring a snack of their own to the school, however in most cases it would be chocolate or chips as that is all that is available on a daily basis in the community.”

Wayne Ingarfield, Principal
Charles Yohin School, Nahanni Butte

Can't Do School on No Fuel! - Princess Alexandra Middle School, Hay River

In our community there are as many 'have not' families as 'haves,' and we work hard to make sure our needy students are cared for without the stigma of special assistance. Our efforts are threefold: each classroom has a "Sharing Basket," stocked with fresh fruit and other healthy options, from which students without a morning snack may help themselves. We ask (pro forma) that anyone who happens to have a snack that they do not want to leave it in the basket for someone who might, but we have no active expectation that anyone will do so.
The snacks we stock in the Sharing Baskets are paid for out of our Breakfast for Learning grant and other donations.

In a similar spirit, we have elected to provide a half-pint of milk to every student in the school each Wednesday -- we call it Mid-Week Milk -- thanks to the active support of our local Super A grocery, who provide the milk at cost. (Again, we recognize the importance of not distinguishing on the basis of need.) Mid-Week Milk is a wildly successful program: in every classroom the [mostly chocolate] milk disappears immediately, and if the delivery is late we are inundated with anxious questions about whether it is coming.

Finally, thanks to the generous support of the community Soup Kitchen, we distribute bag lunches to students who "forget" to bring one. One of our Educational Assistants checks in on each lunchroom, making sure that everyone has something -- and providing a bag lunch to anyone who doesn't. Prior to the spring vacation we had given out, our school of 180 students, more than 300 such lunches, 20 students accounting for more than 200 of them.

In sum: the grant we receive from Breakfast for Learning is part of a broad but understated campaign to provide, without the fanfare that might make good nutrition "uncool," regular healthy snacks for everyone. I can tell you that our neediest take regular advantage of what we have on offer, and appreciate not only that we give them stuff, but that we don't make a big deal about it. I also like that our programs provide milk and nutritious snacks to students whose families have means, but may place less importance on healthy choices. Good nutrition is becoming part of the PA culture, and we're very grateful for the support of Breakfast for Learning.

Geoff Buerger
Principal,
Princess Alexandra School
Hay River