Debbie Field is the Coordinator of the Coalition for Healthy School Food. The Coalition is a group of more than 200 + non profit organizations and networks that advocate for the development of a, universal, cost shared healthy School Food Program for Canada. A longstanding community activist in a variety of social movements, Debbie believes passionately in the power of grassroots campaigning. Debbie is also an Associate Member, Centre for Studies in Food Security, Toronto Metropolitan University.
Debbie has been involved in promoting and improving school food programs for decades, starting when she was a child growing up in New York City where she participated in a free lunch program and loved the mash potatoes and meatloaf but hated the stigma of eating in the “free lunch” cafeteria. When her children entered grade school she was instrumental as a parent activist in organizing a healthy hot lunch program at her children’s school and then advocating to the City of Toronto to fund student nutrition programs. Over her years as the Executive Director of FoodShare Toronto she and her colleagues were involved in developing innovative and sustainable student nutrition and school food literacy programs and the creation of the Coalition for Healthy School Food.
Debbie has an honour's B.A. in Sociology from Trent University, a Master's in Adult Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from York University.
David Kraft is a Senior Associate of Strategic Communications Inc., an international consultancy firm based in Canada and the UK. ‘Stratcom’ provides research, communications, engagement and fundraising services to non-profit organizations.
David’s experience as an organizer and activist has included involvement in the student, trade union, nuclear disarmament, environmental (including working as Disarmament Campaigner 1989-1991, and Campaign Director 1991-1993 for Greenpeace Canada), and education movements. Building on these experiences, and a lifelong commitment to social change through grassroots campaigning, his work as a consultant has focused on providing qualitative and quantitative opinion research, strategic planning and campaign development to assist community-based groups, social justice organizations, labour unions and professional associations, and environmental organizations in delivering services, developing organizing and engagement campaigns, communications and message development.
David holds an Honours B.A. in Sociology from Trent University and an M.A. in Sociology from McMaster University. He has completed courses in Group Facilitation and Facilitated Planning at the Canadian Institute for Cultural Affairs (ICA)
Course offered:
Policy Case Study: School Food Programs
