John Diefenbaker School in Prince Albert was recently awarded $15,000 as one of 10 schools selected for this year’s Mosaic School Nutrition Challenge.
The funding will enable the school to purchase off-the-shelf appliances, expand its hands-on and applied arts cooking program, and conduct student cooking classes. The school is converting underutilized space into a new kitchen and study area.
Principal Jenna Cross said the project has been in the works for several years.
“I think we’ve had this plan in place for a while, (and) I think it won’t be until later this school year that it actually gets implemented or accomplished here,” Cross said. “We started working really hard in December, (and) January, and this is the part that’s crystallizing that we’re getting closer to reality.”
The grant will mean the school can start preparing the kitchen next autumn instead of January. Deputy principal Angela Yeaman said the idea had been a dream for four years.
“This conversation probably started between departments four or five years ago,” she said.
“That’s the difference this money will make. When you think about the impact this money will have on what we can provide for our children and families and even our staff in our buildings. Huge.
Mr Yeaman said this funding will really help alleviate the funding gap.She said the school division is great in terms of facilities as renovations to the space have already begun.
“They’ve done demos. They’re doing the cabinet fabrication. That’s all departments, but it’s the outfitting part that we had to plan for,” she explained.
“Money to build commercial appliances, tables and chairs, pots and pans. Otherwise, we’re just left with an empty shell that can’t be utilized because it doesn’t have anything in it that we need for programming.”
The new space will be an anchor for nutrition programs. The school will be able to conduct its breakfast program, Friday cafeteria program, Meals for the Future program and school-wide Christmas dinner from the space. “Food can be stored there. Preparation can be there and deliveries can happen from there,” Yeaman said.
Cross said the renovations will allow other spaces not used for their original purpose to be put to better use.
The renovated space includes a full kitchen, storage and study space in the kitchen. Currently, students help distribute lunches and run the cafeteria. The new space allows her to keep everything in one area, and dining takes place at the library table.
Cross said the new space will also be able to support staff because everything will be in one centralized location.
“If it’s in one neat, organized place, everybody understands what it’s for and what its purpose is, and it helps us operate more efficiently as well,” Cross said. “That’s huge in terms of the efficiency of the building.”
Yeaman, I applied to the school. She doesn’t know how many applications the program receives, she said.
“I can’t say there won’t be an element of pleasant surprise when you receive it. We’ve put a lot of thought into this application,” she said.
Ehman said the school cannot plan to implement the grant portion unless the department is prepared to do the renovation work. Yeaman said it’s a combination of planning and timing.
“We have considered applying in the past but the timing wasn’t right because we also need to be prepared to execute,” she added.
While this funding was a welcome addition to the school, Ehman explained that it only covered part of the costs. She said she was able to raise funds and looking for community support was the next step.
“We’re probably still $15,000 short of fully funding so we can start the school year with a fully equipped, ready-to-use kitchen next fall,” she explained.
“We have a little bit of funding from the school… and we will be going out into the community to see if there are businesses or individuals in the community that will donate along with a grant to provide JD with a fully equipped kitchen to start the school year.
Cross said the educational component is also important because it allows teachers to offer a greater variety of unique learning activities in the space.
“There will be a lot more food-based learning activities on offer through both courses and some of the different groups we run at the school, for example teaching children how to prepare food. I can now do things like that,” she said. .
Cross added that it will have a huge impact on the community as children will learn to prepare meals.
“That’s a big factor when you think about it with older kids: If they can do a lot more meal prep, what does that mean beyond the walls of this school? ” she said.
“It’s something that allows us to support that learning, so I think that’s a big part as well,” she added.
They thanked Mosaic and SSBA for their financial support.
“This really made it possible, and it happened much sooner than we expected, so we’re really grateful,” Cross said.
“Thank you to the school district. Without their support, this would not have been possible,” Yeaman added.
The Mosaic School Nutrition Challenge is a grassroots initiative to help improve student nutrition. Formerly known as the Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge, the program began in 2006.
Schools from across the province submitted projects to compete for a share of $150,000 in prize money provided by Mosaic. Schools receiving grants this year are governed by the Horizon, Île à la Crosse, North East, Prairie Spirit, Prairie Valley, Regina Catholic, Regina Public, Saskatchewan Rivers and Saskatoon Public school boards, as well as Meadow Lake Tribal Council.
The program began in 2006 to encourage grassroots efforts to help improve student nutrition.
“As we enter the 18th year of the Mosaic Challenge, we continue to see great ideas and initiatives emerge,” SSBA President Jamie Smith-Windsor said in a statement. “We are grateful for Mosaic’s continued commitment.”
Michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
Michael Oleksin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald
