At the Ottawa Network for Education (ONFE), one of our biggest successes this year was seeing how a thoughtful idea from two students at Lisgar High School has grown into a lasting movement. Three years ago, a senior student noticed some of her classmates were arriving at school hungry, and rather than waiting for someone else to step in, she decided to act. She launched a student-led School Breakfast Program – entirely organized and run by student volunteers. She quickly added to her leadership team and what began as an initiative to help a handful of classmates has now become a regular part of school life, ensuring that every student who needs it has access to nutritious food before classes begin.
This success is significant because it highlights the power of student involvement and leadership within the School Breakfast Program. The founding leader of the Lisgar High School student-led program proved that solutions don’t always need to start from the top down. Sometimes, all it takes is a spark of compassion and determination. Since day one, Lisgar’s program has fueled more than just students, it has also fostered a culture of belonging and camaraderie.
ONFE’s School Breakfast Program team has supported these efforts from day one by helping get the program off the ground to sharing resources and guidance. The story of Lisgar’s student-led program was so inspiring that the two students currently leading the program were invited to speak at ONFE’s annual fundraising event, the 2025 Spark Soirée. Sitting in front of a packed room of supporters, the two students currently leading the program reminded over 300 attendees that when young people are given the tools and are trusted to lead, they can create lasting change.
At the end of last school year, those same two students hosted a workshop to teach other schools how to start their own student-led volunteer breakfast programs. The event was incredibly well attended, with educators and students eager to learn. By openly sharing their experience, the Lisgar students empowered others to replicate their model, ensuring that more Ottawa students can get involved and even more will have the chance to start their day nourished and ready to learn.
