Creating a more sustainable environment at Viola Desmond Elementary School
Posted: July 5, 2026
Categories: nourish to flourish
Viola Desmond Elementary School has a school population of 770, consisting of students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8. It is a large school with very diverse demographics, located in the east end of Hamilton, and is considered one of the larger high-priority schools in the school district.
The “nourish to flourish” grant was used to help update the nutrition space and purchase much needed items to create a more sustainable environment when serving food. The school is now able to prepare foods on site and has begun transitioning from solely prepackaged food items to fresh cut fruits, veggies and sandwiches. The grant will continue to support students’ nutritional needs as the school plans to adopt more environmentally-friendly swaps such as reusable containers in the future.
The Nutrition Program partnered with the students on the Healthy Active Team (HAT) at the school, consisting of approximately 10 students in grade five to seven. These students are actively involved in the planning, preparing and packaging of food items for their peers biweekly. They were proud and eager to have this new role and the first time the HAT Team assisted, one of the students commented, “this was the best day ever.” HAT students were very excited to discuss which new food items they enjoyed, plan menus and learn about how to meet the nutritional needs of their fellow students.
As the scope of the Nutrition Program expands and new roles need to be filled, more volunteers became interested in participating. Bringing new volunteers into the school helps to ensure that the Nutrition Program continues to play a vital and integral part of the students’ health and success.