Food Security Project Kitsilano School

1. Food Security Project Kitsilano School Group 10

2. Introduction • Weak anthropocentric view • Priority is on human needs while maintaining care for the surrounding environment • Systems approach • Looking at the community components and interactions as a whole • People are being distanced from food system • Lack of education about food and nutrition in most school curriculums

3. Description of Kitsilano Secondary Catchment Area

5. Kitsilano High School • Located at 2550 West 10th Avenue • Consists of the Kitsilano, Fairview and West Point Grey communities • 5 elementary feeder schools • Wide variety of programs • Approximately1,630 students

6. Kitsilano Characteristics • Largest community • 551 hectares • 39,620 residents (50% are around 20-39 years old) • Average household income is $66,093 • 19% of the population is low income

7. Fairview Characteristics • Adjacent to the Kitsilano community • 333 hectares • 28,405 residents (48% are around 20-39 years old) • Average household income of $60,244

8. West Point Grey Characteristics • Small portion falls into Kitsilano Secondary School’s catchment area • 455 hectares • 12,680 residents • Average household income of $105,383

9. Results From Kitsilano Focus Groups

10. Method • Viewing PowerPoint presentation • Complete the questionnaires supplied • Six grade 10 students • Discussion in focus group

11. Research Result Findings:

12. KSS students' primary concerns about their food • Taste • Nutritional value • Organic • Appearance

13. KSS students’ ideas of “good” food • Incorporation of spices and vegetables in the food • Taste • Nutritional quality • Organic

14. KSS student thoughts • Most students brought lunches from home especially since they thought the cafeteria was smelly and the food was greasy • Students believed the vending machines had a lack of variety • Community gardens were of great interest to the students • Many students showed interest in learning more about the Land and Food Systems faculty

15. Result And Discussion

16. Food security problemsat KSS • Limited accessibility to healthy food • Connections between our food, the environment and the students • Lack of education about food and nutrition in the school curriculum • “Junk Food” vending machines • Commercialization is prevalent in the vicinity of the school and its community

17. Program of High school activities • “30-Hour Sustainable Living Quest” • Introduction of guest speakers • Intermission of nutritional snacks • Interactive games that relate to our activity goals • Screening of movies that are also related to our goals • Overnight school sleep-over • Nutritional meal at the end of the 30 hour period

18. Past AGSC 250 Research and Findings

19. Past AGSC 250 Research • 2000-2003: Investigated the security and sustainability of food systems in 23 communities within the Vancouver region • 2004: Studied how these issues affected high school kids at KSS and Sir Winston Churchill using community action based research

20. Results of Past AGSC 250 Findings • The majority of students brought food from home (~ 38%) • Substantial number also bought lunch at a store near the school (~ 33%) • The most important characteristics were taste, nutrition, and appearance • They showed little interest about learning where their food comes from and how healthy it is

22. Literature Review

23. Literature Review • “Turning the Tables” • Recommendations on existing food security problems in high schools in England - training their cooking staff to provide healthy meals and design healthy menus • Reviews the challenges of practical implementation - financial pressures of schools and the parents of low income families • Recognizes the economical and environmental sustainable effects of food security - supports local economy by encouraging schools purchase food from local suppliers and farmers

24. Literature Review • “Jamie Oliver” • Goal: Try to replace junk food with nutritious food • Result: Successful in implementing nutritious lunch meals in British elementary schools • He went to different communities and schools, to realize the lack of knowledge of food • Many people gain a greater awareness of the importance of healthy food for children • Slowly he helped the students become more aware of their connections with food

25. Literature Review • Worldwide food programs taking place: • US: • Skidmore College in N.Y. establish a dining hall revolution to bring local and organic food to the college’s own dining hall • Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program provide lessons to ESL students and their parents on food choices • France: • French government is involve to improve student’s nutrition by establishing school meal menus so parents know in advance of their children’s meal • Suggested-Dinner weekday menus are establish to enable parents to make nutritious meal at home • French schools have field trips to farms

26. Recommendations

27. For our AGSC 250 2006 colleague • Take a tour of the high school during regular lunch time hours • Debrief with the other facilitators, or conduct more than one focus group • Improve preliminary power point presentation to be more captivating and interactive • Send an additional newsletter/booklet of relevant information home with the students

28. For KSS principal and other faculty members • Organize field trip to the farm • Date with a Dietitian, get students to go to a local supermarket • Have students prepare a Food Journal for a typical day • Show the Jamie Oliver episodes • Help and encourage interested students to organize food security related clubs

29. For Vancouver School Board • Implement food security and sustainability programs in elementary schools • Make alterations of our current curriculum • The VSB can collaborate with the PAC to hold more meetings on food security issues in schools • Join with the Vancouver City Council to promote awareness within the community

30. Thank you Group 10 members: Berkyto, Meghan Leah Chow, Amanda Hoi San Hartell ,Tamara Valeria Lam, Iris Po-King Niknamian ,Darya Siu ,Chi Bon Gabriel Wang, Jin