Overview

This Edible Education Community of Practice (CoP) aims to provide a supportive space for those working on Edible Education initiatives (e.g. farm to school programs, land-based learning, school gardens, cooking programs, outdoor education) to connect with, learn from, and collaborate with other practitioners across the country. 

You can view our full Terms of Reference here. These Terms were developed by a working group of Canada Digs In! Partners and other school food practitioners who advised on the creation of the CoP. The Terms of Reference is a living document that will continue to evolve with the CoP.

Who can join?

This CoP is intended for school food practitioners who are involved with an Edible Education initiative anywhere in what we now call Canada. Members may include representatives from community organizations; teachers and school staff; parents and volunteers; and more.

How often does the group meet?

Virtual meetings will take place no less than 3 times / year (in alignment with the seasons when possible). Between meetings, members can communicate via an Edible Education listserv and Facebook group.

Why become a member?

This CoP will cultivate relationships, and encourage the sharing, exploration and development of resources and experiences to inform, inspire and amplify impact. As a member of this CoP, you will be part of a national group of experienced school food practitioners with whom you can learn, connect, and collaborate. 

How to Join

To join the Edible Education CoP mailing list and receive updates about upcoming meetings, fill out the registration form.

Registration Form

You can also join our Facebook Group!

Have a question? Contact the CoP coordinator at
edible.ed@farmtocafeteriacanada.com 

Meetings

Upcoming Community of Practice Meetings
TBA
Date: 
Time: 

Duration: 

Register to receive an invite if you’re not already on the CoP list.

Past Community of Practice Meetings

Tuesday May 24, 2022

Walking Forward: Learning from Place

Dr. Gillian Judson (imaginED) and Megan Sandham introduced a new resource for imaginative, place-centered and Indigenous education, called “Walking Forward: Learning from Place”. This resource applies an Indigenous lens to The Walking Curriculum (TWC), reframing the first 30 walks in TWC in ways that connect to the nine First Peoples’ Principles of Learning in the BC curriculum. 

Webinar Recap

Wednesday March 2, 2022

Decolonizing Your Garden

The Edible Education Community of Practice is hosting an upcoming webinar for those of you who are looking for ideas on how to appropriately incorporate Indigenous plants and ways of knowing into your teaching gardens. We’re pleased to announce two guest speakers: Lori Snyder, a Métis herbalist and descendant from the Powhatan, Dakota, T’suu tina, Nakota, Cree, Nipissing, Dene and Anishinaabe peoples, mixed with French and Celtic ancestry, will be joining us from where she resides as a visitor on the land of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples (Vancouver, BC) where she works with students from K-12, and Tristan Landry, of Acadian and French (France) descent will be joining us from the land of the W8banaki, the Ndakina. K’wlipaï8ba W8banakiak wdakiw8k (Sherbrooke, QC) to share his experiences working in the historical garden of the university. The presentations will be in both English and French and simultaneous translation will be offered. After the presentations, we will host breakout sessions for participants to connect and share ideas with each other.

Webinar Recap

Tuesday November 16, 2021

Conversation on Land-Based Learning

We encourage you to mark Tuesday November 16th at 12:30 PST / 3:30 EST / 4:30 AST on your calendars for this Community of Practice conversation on land-based learning where we will hold small group discussions to reflect on and discuss what land-based learning can look like in our own edible education practices. This hour and a half-long conversation will let participants speak to any points that resonated with them in the recorded conversation and to share their own ideas and challenges regarding this approach to education. 

Wednesday June 2, 2021

Agenda:
  • Small group check-ins

  • Presentations from edible educators

  • Breakout groups with colleagues across Canada

  • Program activity ideas for National Indigenous History Month (June)

  • Updates on this Community of Practice

Meeting Notes & Links More information on the next meeting

Wednesday March 10, 2021

Agenda:
  • Be introduced to this newly established Community of Practice
  • Get to know other edible education / food literacy practitioners across the country
  • Contribute to the creation of a set of values/principles for the Community of Practice
  • Take a Great Big Crunch for Healthy School Food with others across Canada
  • Meeting Notes
Overview:

History

Since the launch of the Farm to School Canada Digs In! initiative in 2016, F2CC has been initiating and growing regional Farm to School communities of practice to support grant recipients and other school communities who are working to connect students to healthy, local and sustainable food at school. 

In summer 2020, a few members of the Coalition for Healthy School Food came together to discuss the need for a space where school food practitioners from across the country could connect, share resources, and support each other with regards to food literacy and edible education efforts. Similar conversations were happening here at Farm to Cafeteria Canada, so we took the opportunity to collaborate and develop an expanded, national community of practice as part of Canada Digs In! 

Farm to Cafeteria Canada is pleased to host this Edible Education Community of Practice in collaboration with the Coalition for Healthy School Food and our shared regional partners.

Acknowledgements

The development of the Edible Education CoP is part of Farm to School: Canada Digs In!
A multi-sectoral chronic disease prevention partnership. 

 

In addition to our Canada Digs In! partners, we would like to thank the following organizations
for their active involvement and advise the formation of this CoP: