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Create or expand a school food program

Last updated on March 13, 2025

Some school food programs in B.C. are just getting started, while other programs are expanding or being improved. Find tips for launching a program and ideas for enhancing an existing one.

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Create a school food program

It takes time to build a school food program that is sustainable and consistent long-term. Below are some things to consider when starting a new school food program from scratch. The Feeding Futures Guiding Principles also provide guidance on developing school food programs in B.C.

Understand your school's needs

  • Talk to students, teachers, administrators, school district personnel and parents to understand the specific needs of students in your school or district
  • Work with your district’s Indigenous Education Council to ensure the needs of Indigenous students are considered
  • Get inspiration from nearby schools or districts 
  • Investigate ways you can reduce stigma and make your program more accessible 

Determine your delivery model

A school food program delivery model includes where food is purchased, how and where meals are prepared, and how food reaches students. 

Learn more about delivery models

Things to consider for program delivery
What type of food will you offer?

Breakfast, lunch or snacks
How often will you provide food?

Daily, weekly or on an emergency basis
How will you ensure the program is accessible to priority students? Pay-what-you-can or subsidies
How will you prepare and serve food to students? Grab and Go, sit-down or assemble-and-serve
How will you incorporate nutritious B.C. foods into your programs?

Review A Guide to Sourcing B.C. Food and BC School Food Toolkit

Build a team

Who will support your program and what roles and responsibilities will they have?

  • For example, staff, volunteers, district leaders and external agencies

What other groups can you work with? Consider:

  • Local First Nations, Rightsholders and Indigenous partners 
  • Local community groups, not-for-profit organizations and businesses such as The Salvation Army, Canadian Legion, churches, firefighters and food banks 
  • Food hubs and food recovery organizations
  • Local food businesses such as grocery stores, catering companies or wholesale food providers
  • Parent Advisory Councils (PAC)
  • Other community members or leaders who share a passion for supporting students

Partnerships with non-profits and community organizations can make programs more efficient and cost-effective. For example, see if there is a non-profit organization in your area that could help with purchasing food or assist with creating or expanding your program.

Consider infrastructure and staffing needs

What type of equipment and space will your program require?

  • For example, large or small appliances, space for preparing and storing food, and utensils

How will you prioritize safety throughout your program?

​What staff will be needed to run your program?

Figure out expenses

How much funding will you need? Consider:

  • Initial start-up costs like equipment or infrastructure
  • Ongoing expenses like food or staffing
  • The delivery model you will use
  • How many students you will serve
  • How often the program will operate

Are there ways to reduce program costs? Consider:

  • Growing fruits and vegetables in school gardens
  • Offering a pay-what-you-can model to offset program costs
  • Partnering with other schools or districts to coordinate food purchasing or distribution
  • Researching other funding opportunities

Expand or enhance a school food program

Once a school food program is up and running, schools and districts may want to enhance or expand it further. These ideas can also be integrated into programs from the start. Ideas to consider:

Make your program more inclusive

  • Explore additional ways that you can reduce stigma and make your program accessible to everyone

Expand your service

  • Increase the frequency of meals and snacks throughout the day or week
  • Offer different types of programs to suit the diverse needs of students

Broaden the food offered

  • Find ways to improve the quality of food served such as selecting more nutritious or B.C. foods where possible
  • Add more culturally diverse foods into your programs and ask students and families for recipe ideas

Improve sustainability

  • Incorporate sustainable practices into your program, such as reducing food waste or using reusable utensils or serving dishes 

Create learning opportunities

  • Integrate food literacy and learning opportunities into school food programs
  • Find ways to include students in the delivery of your program, such as helping with food preparation, food delivery, or program clean up

Build connections inside and outside the school

  • Think about adapting the location or set-up of the program to give students and staff more chances to connect and socialize
  • Explore new partnerships to assist with expanding or enhancing your program

Seek input and act

  • Ask for feedback from students, staff, families and community members through surveys, feedback forms and conversations 
  • Use their input to make improvements to the program