Trina Boymook, EIPS Board Chair, and the Honourable Adriana LaGrange, Education Minister, distribute snacks to A.L Horton Elementary students as part of the new nutrition program.
Sherwood Park, AB. — High food costs are impacting families throughout the province and as a result, students may come to school hungry, and without adequate nutrition to fuel learning. Thanks to the Community Association for Lasting Success (CALS) in Vegreville, children attending A.L. Horton Elementary will now benefit from a new nutrition program that ensures healthy meals and snacks are available for all students.
“Children who don’t get enough to eat during the day aren’t going to be able to focus on their studies,” says Jen Dixon, the Executive Director of CALS. “Through this new partnership with A.L. Horton, all students at that school will have access to healthy snacks and meals to help them get through the day, and to grow and thrive.”
CALS, a local not-for-profit group, is no stranger to helping in the community. The association has been offering programs and services that support families and enhance children’s development and well-being within Vegreville and surrounding areas since 1997. Partnering with local caterers, grocery stores, volunteers and others, CALS will now deliver a nutrition program to almost 1,200 students from EIPS and EICS schools, including A.L Horton Elementary, Vegreville Composite High and Next Step Vegreville. St. Martin’s Catholic Elementary and St. Mary’s High are also part of the program, as is the Vegreville Preschool.
Funding for A.L. Horton’s program comes from Alberta Education’s School Nutrition Program, which is piloting a new grant for non-profit organizations to lead school nutrition programs. In total, CALS will receive $408,000 from Alberta Education to roll-out the nutrition program at the six locations for the remainder of the 2022-23 school year.
“No student in Alberta should have to go to school hungry and attempt to learn on an empty stomach,” says Education Minister Adriana LaGrange. “Proper nutrition is a vital component for student success and development. We’re proud to offer such an impactful pilot program to ensure that students have their basic needs met in order to learn and thrive at school.”
Since the pandemic began, the social and economic impact on Albertans has been significant. “We’ve seen first-hand that food security has become a considerable challenge for many school families,” says Trina Boymook, the Board Chair of EIPS. “We’re grateful for the leadership CALS is providing in addressing hunger in the community, and to Alberta Education for their financial support of this incredibly important program.”
CALS will provide access to nutritious food up to five days a week to the six schools in Vegreville, with a minimum of three full meals per week. The association will offer students healthy, readily available food choices that follow the Alberta Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Youth. A.L. Horton’s School Nutrition program starts on Feb. 13, 2023.
Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,460 students in 43 schools. We are proud to be an integral part of our communities, including Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties, and the western portion of the County of Minburn.
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For more information contact:
Laura McNabb, Director, Communication Services, EIPS 780-417-8204 cell 780-405-4902