Saskatoon Public Schools is pleased that the provincial government has signed on to the National School Food Program. The federal government announced the program last year, with a $1 billion investment over five years, providing meals for up to 400,000 children across Canada each year.

Superintendent of Education responsible for Health and Nutrition Partnerships, Colleen Norris, says they are excited to see what this will do for their students. A news release from SPS says they have been working with community partners on school food programs for decades, but right now, the division is unable to meet the full need. SPS is currently using grant funds from the Public Health Agency of Canada to fund a Good Food for Learning Universal Lunch Program at some schools in their division. Norris says, “I think everyone can get behind feeding kids and this is going to allow us to do that while simultaneously improving learning outcomes. It’s no secret that children can’t learn on empty stomachs.”

The document signed on Monday by the Governments of Saskatchewan and Canada is a $15.8 million three-year agreement under the National School Food Program.