Education and Training to support a National School Food Program
June 3
3:30 – 4:30pm
Room 518C
As the national school food program expands, it will be essential to have adequate training for educators as well as food providers. Join our presenters to learn about what school food program training happens at an international level, efforts to map out training needs and gaps in Canada, how current training aligns with the NSFP principles (Accessible, Health Promoting, Inclusive, Flexible, Sustainable, Accountable), as well as what educators have said helps them support food literacy learning in real classroom context. We will then discuss efforts to support school food program education and training needs and the gaps that continue to exist.
Bio:
DR. JESSICA OMAND, RD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Nutrition at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Her research focuses on primary prevention to optimize child health and well-being through early-life nutrition interventions, with a specialization in childhood nutrition including the impacts of school food programs (SFPs) on child development. She will lead this workshop in collaboration with Dr. Fiona Yeudall PhD RD, Arina Cazac and Adriane Newsham. Dr. Yeudall, RD, PhD, is the Director of TMU’s School of Nutrition and has over 25 years of experience in food security research and sustainable food systems. Arina Cazac, RD, MHSc (candidate), is a master’s student in Nutrition Communications at TMU and is working on the Delphi process as part of her Major Research Project. Adriane Newsham is an Food and Nutrition undergraduate student and research assistant working with Dr. Omand.
ERICA CAHILL is a Registered Dietitian based in British Columbia and the Manager of Nutrition and Health Programs at BC Dairy, a non-profit organization that supports dairy farmers in British Columbia. She has worked with BC Dairy since 2022 and currently leads the development of evidence-based, inclusive food literacy and nutrition education initiatives that support educators and school communities across the province. Her work emphasizes inclusive, food-neutral approaches to food literacy, practical classroom language, and the integration of food systems concepts, drawing on best practices in dietetics and education.
SUZANNE REHEL is a registered dietitian with Éducation Nutrition / Teach Nutrition, an initiative by the dietitians at Dairy Farmers of Canada that promotes food literacy among youth across Canada. A graduate of McGill University in Nutrition, she has experience in hospital nutrition, private practice, and corporate nutrition communications. As Regional Director, Suzanne leads the Quebec team and works with colleagues across Canada to ensure programs reflect provincial realities and educational needs. She is passionate about supporting lifelong healthy habits through practical, credible, and accessible food literacy resources for educators and school communities.