From Seed to Stove: Passages’ “nourish to flourish” Grant is Feeding More Than Just Bellies
Posted: July 9, 2025
Categories: nourish to flourish / Schools
Passages Centre for Self-Directed Learning
Toronto, Ontario
This year at Passages Centre for Self-Directed Learning, a major milestone sizzled into our community—quite literally. Thanks to the generous support of Sustain Ontario, Farm to Cafeteria Canada and Farm Boy, we were able to purchase a new stove, igniting a whole new level of culinary exploration, learning, and connection.
Passages Centre, now in its fifth year, welcomed 25 learners this year, ranging in age from 9 to 18. Located inside the Eastminster United on the Danforth in Toronto, our alternative learning space offers youth-driven programming, hands-on classes, workshops, and off-site adventures that reflect our belief: education should be meaningful, personalized, and rooted in real-world experiences.
When our new stove arrived, we shared the exciting news with families through our weekly newsletter. The response? Let’s just say our inboxes were full of smiley emojis and recipe suggestions. But no one was more excited than the learners themselves. The moment the stove was installed, it wasn’t just a shiny appliance in the corner—it became the centrepiece of activity, creativity, and nourishment.
Learners wasted no time making the first batches of cookies and planning our community lunch. The stove has since become a gathering point: a place where ingredients turn into meals, ideas into plans, and learners into chefs, nutritionists, and community leaders.
Our community meals are more than food—they’re a lesson in planning, teamwork, budgeting, and sustainability. Baking sessions have turned into informal science labs. More than one learner has taken to calling themselves the “Head Chef.”
Here’s what our learners had to say about the experience:
“This is a great stove. One that finally cooks at the right temperature!” J., age 16
“I’ve named him Stovie” – M., age 9
We’re grateful to the “nourish to flourish” for making this possible. This grant didn’t just fund a kitchen upgrade—it invested in youth empowerment, food literacy, and community connection. At Passages, where learning is led by curiosity and collaboration, this stove is now a vessel for far more than food. It’s cooking up confidence, independence, and a taste of what learning can truly be.
And yes, everything does taste better when it’s made by a group of youth who actually wanted to make it.