Course:LFS350/Projects/Fall2016/BCC

From UBC Wiki

Project Summary

Purpose

This project is an opportunity to engage with one of Canada's leading non-profit agencies, the Breakfast Club of Canada

  • This work will support our ongoing efforts to bolster food security for our communities and ensure that we are able to reach the greatest number of children possible.
  • Students will analyze data from past projects to determine what food is being provided to specific partner communities and at what cost? How does this compare with data from previous years (for which we have receipts)? Are the food needs of these communities being met?

Areas of Focus

  • School hunger and nutrition programs
  • Community food and hunger assets
  • Community development

Skills

  • Community level analysis of food, nutrition and hunger in school-aged children and youth

Location

Project will take place in Vancouver, but the majority of work can be done remotely.

Special Considerations

  • Availability in the morning to visit school feeding program in Vancouver is highly recommended

Background Information

The Club is looking to expand its current model of retail purchasing for schools to focus more on group-purchasing and partnerships with other stakeholders in the food procurement sector (food banks, grocery chains, food distributors, etc.). The purpose of this is to enhance food security for the communities we work with and to expand access to healthy foods at more competitive prices.

Organization Information

Name

Breakfast Club of Canada

Mission + Vision

Breakfast Club of Canada is a Canada-wide non-profit that has worked for the last 20 years to provide nutritious breakfasts to students before class each morning. Our mission is to ensure that all students have access to a healthy breakfast in a safe, supportive environment so that they can do their best in school. Today, we support over 1,400 schools across Canada, serving breakfast to over 150,000 students each morning.

Primary Contact

  • Contact Persons: Robin Ryan
  • Email: robin.ryan@breakfastclubcanada.org
  • Address: 411 – 470 Granville St, Vancouver
  • Phone: 604-685-2220
  • Website: www.breakfastclubcanada.org
  • Best time(s) method(s) to contact: Email

Project Description

  • We have begun food procurement pilots with food banks in Kelowna, Nanaimo, and Langley, and are in talks with the food banks of Calgary and Edmonton. We have also formed a partnership with a bulk food distributor in Winnipeg to serve our Northern communities.
  • Part of this project will be the ongoing analysis of data from these project – what food is being provided to these communities and at what cost? How does this compare with data from previous years (for which we have receipts)? Are the food needs of these communities being met?
  • Another aspect of the project will be reviewing best practices of other organizations across North America and Europe to see what we might learn and implement in our own work.
  • This work will support our ongoing efforts to bolster food security for our communities and ensure that we are able to reach the greatest number of children possible.

Skills Preferred + To Be Developed

  • Competency with Microsoft Excel and Google Docs
  • Analytical skills
  • General familiarity with food security challenges in Canada
  • Familiarity with literature reviews and strong writing skills

Preferred Days of Week and Hours

  • We are very flexible with our hours, although students wishing to see a breakfast program in action will need to find a weekday where they are available at 8am.

Experiential Learning Opportunities

  • We will encourage group members to visit one of our local breakfast programs to see it in action

Expected Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

I hope students will learn about…

  • Food procurement challenges and opportunities across Canada

I think students will come to appreciate…

  • The importance of challenging existing models within program management systems

Students will develop…

  • Analytical skills to review data, synthesize information, and make recommendations

Organizational Outcomes

  • A better understanding of different food procurement systems in education globally
  • A nuanced understanding of the systems in place in our schools
  • A clear understanding of the effects of shifting schools from retail-models to food-bank-models