Wellness was the theme as Vancouver Technical Secondary welcomed Grade 8 students and their families to the school.

The Grade 8 Welcome evening focused in particular on healthy eating. There were tours of Van Tech's garden, presentations on preparing healthy meals and snacks, a nutritious meal prepared by students and the launch of a map to locate places to buy food in Vancouver.

Van Tech had found access to food was a concern for some of its students. "We wanted to look at that issue and how we can do some capacity building and education," said school nurse Derek Roelofsen.

The food preparation presentations demonstrated how easy it is to create healthy shakes and salads, while the meal served up by students included some ingredients grown in the school garden.

Student Henry Campbell-Wood, co-president of the Garden Club with Julie To, said the primary objective of the garden, beyond growing food for use in the cafeteria and in the neighbourhood, was to nurture an understanding of agriculture in the school community. "We think it's important to engage students and teachers to learn about the world around them," he said.

Helping busy families find places to obtain food is the intention behind the new Vancouver Food Asset Map launched at the Van Tech Grade 8 Welcome event by Vancouver Coastal Health and its partners. The map identifies kitchens, markets, gardens and other places where food is available to the public.

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