Webinar: A journey into school fruits and vegetables programs in MB and BC

Viola Prowse, is the Executive Director, Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario, Viola Prowse spent several years teaching junior and senior high school in Ontario and Manitoba.  While raising five children she became involved in various volunteer activities, including the Manitoba School Improvement Program. In 1998 she became the project coordinator of a two-year Community Involvement Project jointly sponsored by the Manitoba Association of School Trustees and the Manitoba School Improvement Program.  Subsequently in 2001 she was hired to coordinate activities by the newly formed Child Nutrition Council of Manitoba and eventually took on the role of Executive Director. In that time, the Council grew from supporting 10 programs with a budget of 15 thousand to over 200 programs with a budget of over one million. In her work with schools Viola has received the Service in Education Award by the then Fort Garry School Division and the Marilyn Ashby Project Award for the improvement of health and well-being of children.  The Council has also received the Canadian Home and School National School Health Award for 2002 and a nomination for a Golden Carrot award in 2009. 

Vanessa Perrodou is the Provincial Manager of the Farm to School BC Network. She is a Registered Dietitian with experience working in the school based healthy eating sector both at the provincial government level and with several provincial school based healthy eating initiatives in BC. As Provincial Manager, Vanessa oversees the functions of the Farm to School BC Network including supporting Farm to School programs, growing and strengthening the network, and is currently leading a two year project which will see the development of 50 new Farm to School programs and the establishment of three Farm to School Regional Hubs across the province by June 2016. In her spare time Vanessa is a budding photographer, balcony gardener and dancer. .

Kayla Atkey is the policy analyst for the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention (APCCP) and Power Up Clasp team, located at the University of Alberta. In this role, she helps to coordinate the activities of the Coalition, as well as gathers and reviews evidence to identify evidence-based policy interventions for obesity prevention. Through her academic and professional experience, Kayla has developed a keen interest in the use of participatory approaches to promote healthy public policy change.