Growing Chefs! Ontario: FDK-Grade 8 Field Trips

Field Trips for the 2022/2023 school year are now full. To be added to the waitlist please register at the link above. 

What to Expect: We are launching brand-new field trips for FDK-Grade 8 in our new space Growing Chefs! at the Grove. Grove Field Trips will provide a unique learning environment in which students can gain perspective and knowledge about their place within a sustainable food system. Through fun, age-appropriate activities, students will gain hands-on experience with multiple components of a food system including growing, preparing, serving, and/​or composting food products (activities vary depending on the grade). The program is intended to foster critical thinking by challenging students to consider the impacts of their food choices on personal/​community health, the natural environment, and global/​local economies.

Who can register: Field trip registration initially opened only to those that had canceled field trips with us in the 2019 – 2020 school year, due to COVID-19 or strikes. Now that those classes have had an opportunity to register, we have opened registration to our waitlist. Next we will open registration to those not on our waitlist, but please do not register yet, if you are not on our waitlist.

We plan to open additional field trip dates next school year so that more students can participate. Currently, we have opened a space for one class per day, but if COVID-19 restrictions ease, we will ask all teachers to invite a second class from their school to attend the field trip with them, so please register with this in mind.

Date & Time: Field trips will take place during the 2022 – 2023 school year. Exact dates and times will be booked once the school year begins. FDK field trips will be 2.5 hours long, while Grades 1 – 8 field trips will be 3 hours long.

Location: Field trips will be hosted at our new teaching facility, The Grove at The Western Fair District, located at 900 King St. This facility includes a learning kitchen equipped with audio/​visual supports, classrooms, a heated greenhouse, and a worm composting project.

Grades: We are offering field trips for all elementary school grades, including FDK, Grade 1 – 3, Grades 4 – 6 and Grade 7 – 8. Customized field trips for high school and post-secondary students are also available through our Growing Communities Program.

Pricing: $12/​person (including adults). Cost includes programming and an amazing lunch. We are committed to providing low-cost food education experiences for youth. If cost is a barrier to registration, please contact [email protected]​growingchefsontario.​ca to explore subsidy options.

Masking and Vaccination: Growing Chefs! continues to work closely with Public Health as we continue to transition away from COVID-19 related health and safety protocols for our programming and events. We strongly recommend vaccinations and masking as tools to minimize the spread of COVID-19, but will not be continuing to require masks be worn in our facilities.

Food Allergies: If food allergies are a concern, rest assured that our team is highly experienced in managing dietary restrictions. Do not let a dietary concern prevent your students from participating in our programming. Get in contact with our staff team next school year with details and we’ll do our best to make appropriate accommodations.

Accessibility and Inclusivity: We are proud to announce our facility at The Grove can accommodate wheelchair users, even including our greenhouse and washroom. We also have a gender-inclusive washroom available are a safe space. Please let our staff team know of any mobility or any needed accommodations in advance, and we will plan accordingly.