The Healthy Food for Learning program provides funding to NWT schools to help ensure that students in need have access to healthy and satisfying meals and snacks. When children do not have to worry about food insecurity, they can focus on learning and participating in the classroom.

Federal funding for school food programs

In 2025, the Government of Canada and the Government of the Northwest Territories signed a three-year bilateral agreement (2024-2025 to 2026-2027), which will provide approximately $7.4 million in federal funding to NWT schools to expand the existing Healthy Food for Learning program, as part of the National School Food program. The $7.4 million is in addition to the GNWT’s annual $650,000 investment in the program, which will bring the total combined investment amount to $9.35 million over the next three years.

Healthy meals for kids, savings for families in the Northwest Territories

All 49 NWT schools, and all Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 students, have access to the Healthy Food for Learning Program as needed. This new funding will help bolster the program by enabling continued but enhanced programming for students.

To learn more about the programming available in your child(ren)’s school, please connect with their teacher and/or the school principal.

Healthy Food for Learning Program

The Healthy Food for Learning program is part of the NWT Anti-Poverty Strategy. The Department of Education, Culture and Employment distributes $650,000 every year to NWT schools for breakfast, snack and lunch programming. The program responds to needs related to northern food insecurity and socio-economic challenges.

NWT schools have shared wise practices for a successful school food program, which include partnering with local grocery stores, government departments and businesses, and involve students in developing and implementing the food programs in their schools (i.e., growing food, involving Elders/community members in traditional food preparation).