It’s 11:30 a.m. at West Bedford School and students Lyra, Adalyn and Moyo begin rolling lunch orders down the hallway. Dressed in orange shirts, they’re ready to distribute soft shell tacos to the youngest learners in the building, as part of the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program.
The three ambassadors are part of a group of volunteers made up of nearly 60 Grade 6 students who take on leadership roles in the school during their senior year – one of them being lunch delivery. The opportunity to be a role model fills their plate in the best possible way.
“I love helping the little kids,” Adalyn beams. Moyo wants to be a teacher one day and shares that being an ambassador helps them gain experience as a leader and teaches responsibility.
Susan Casey, principal of the Pre-Primary to Grade 6 school, explains that older students on the high school side of the building supported lunch delivery in the past, but with busy schedules during exams this year, Grade 6 ambassadors were eager to offer their help and have taken over the job permanently.
Drew Fournier is one of the staff coordinators of the Grade 6 ambassador program, in partnership with his colleagues and fellow school counsellors, Lisa Banks and Mary Cobb. Fournier says that students sign up to volunteer at the beginning of the school year. After being interviewed, they are placed in different roles and have rotating opportunities based on their interests.
“These students want to be leaders in their last year of elementary school. This is a great way for them to develop important skills which they can then carry with them to student council when they’re able to join next year in Grade 7”.
After several smiles of appreciation from children and teachers, the three ambassadors return the empty lunch cart to the cafeteria at the end of their shift. One shares a laugh about their oversized ambassador shirt – something, they agree, is worth growing into over time.
About the Nova Scotia School Lunch Program
The Nova Scotia School Lunch Program launched in October 2024, providing affordable and nutritious meal options to public elementary school students across the province. For more information about the Program, click here.