Source: Food Skills for Families on a Smart Budget Program, Wickaninnish Community School, Tofino BC, January - March 2009

Food Skills for Families is a new initiative led by the Canadian Diabetes Association and is one of the Healthy Eating Strategies supported by the BC Healthy Living Alliance (BCHLA) with funding from the Ministry of Health.

The FSFF offers schools a free nutritional and skill building program, by trained local community facilitators, geared to the needs of Aboriginal, Punjabi, new immigrant, and low income families where access and ability to cook healthy food is not always easy. The aim of the program is to provide families with hands-on cooking experience to learn and make healthy recipes with a focus on improving healthy food choices and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and improve the number of students bringing healthy snack and lunches to school. The Directorate of Agencies for School Health (DASH) BC is one of the key partners in this initiative and will be the lead school liaison working together with the Canadian Diabetes Association to bring Food Skills For Families to schools across the province.

Program Overview 

Food Skills for Families is a new and exciting initiative that provides families with hands-on cooking experience to learn and make healthy recipes with a focus on improving healthy food choices and increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

These free community based programs will be offered in a community kitchen in schools and community organizations throughout the province beginning September 2008 and continuing until March 2010.

This initiative has been developed to meet the needs of Aboriginal, Punjabi, new immigrant, and low income families where access and ability to cook healthy food is not always easy.

Food Skills for Families is led by the Canadian Diabetes Association and is one of the Healthy Eating Strategies supported by the BC Healthy Living Alliance.  For more information, visit http://www.bchealthyliving.ca/healthy_eating

Benefit to Schools Wishing to Participate

• There is no cost to schools/community organizations wishing to implement the Food Skills for Families program in their community.
• Encourage families to make more links with the school and community resources available.
• Improve the number of students bringing healthy snacks and lunches to school

Benefits to Families Wishing to Participate

• There is no cost to families wishing to participate
• Hands-on cooking experiences and sharing meals that are cooked together.
• Nutrition information to make healthy food choices the easier choice.
• Safe food handling and storage, meal planning, healthy snacks, shopping tour and much more.
• Social networking opportunities and sharing information.

Requirements of the School/Community Organization

• Confirm a kitchen facility at your school (or have access to a community agency that has a community kitchen available) that can hold a group of approximately 10-12 people.  Availability of the kitchen for a maximum of 6 sessions, offered over 6 weeks or in a shorter time frame.  The Coordinator will confirm required equipment and facilities with the school beforehand.
• Recruit 8 – 10 participants (minimum 8, maximum 12) committed to participate for the duration of the 6 sessions.  Contact list of participants made available to the Community Facilitator.
• Identify those at your school or organization wishing to become certified as a Community Facilitator to provide the Food Skills for Families program.

More About the Food Skills for Families Program 

• Food Skills for Families is a new initiative led by the Canadian Diabetes Association and is one of the Healthy Eating Strategies supported by the BC Healthy Living Alliance (BCHLA)  with funding from the Ministry of Health.
• Community Facilitators will be certified under the Train-the-Trainer Certification Program.  They will be responsible for organizing the program dates and times based on your needs and timeframe, purchasing the required food, bringing all the resources (including a Participant Handbook), and leading the sessions.

For more information and support to make arrangements for the program (i.e. confirming location, dates, times, and number of participants) or about “The Train-the-Trainer Certification Program” contact:

Effective June 30, 2010:

The Directorate of Agencies for School Health (DASH) BC has been pleased to act as School Liaison Contact for the Canadian Diabetes Association - Food Skills for Families initiative.   As of June 30, 2010, DASH BC will no longer carry this role and your new FSFF contact will be: