Learning Circles: Local Health Food to School (LC:LHF2S) is a participatory initiative to build capacity within First Nation school communities to improve access to healthy, local and traditional foods. Based on an exemplar project in Haida Gwaii (HG) BC, LC:LHF2S Facilitators in HG, Hazleton/Upper Skeena BC, Ministikwan, SK and Black River, MB worked with local stakeholders to plan, implement and document food-related activities.

Using the ABLe Change framework (Foster-Fishman & Watson, 2011), we examine the process by which LC:LHF2S was scaled up within and across the four communities.

Data were triangulated from interviews with annual gathering delegates (2016-9) and key stakeholders (2019-20); project reports, minutes, food procurement and student data; coded (some in duplicate) and preliminary themes identified.

Change varied within each community context according to ABLe Change ‘Above-the-Line’ factors: unique strengths and supports; relationships developed among Facilitators, local champions and stakeholders within school and food systems; engagement of leadership; values placed on local and traditional foods and interactions among system components. LC:LHF2S implementation was influenced by ‘Below-the-Line’ factors: community readiness; local capacity to respond to LC priorities, including knowledge, skills and motivation for action; and local ‘wins’ (successes achieved and obstacles addressed). ‘Wins’, whether: more local, traditional foods in school meals; a healthy community fund-raising feast; a school learning garden; or activities on the land with local knowledge keepers, facilitated further activity. Annual gatherings fostered exchange of ideas and strategies across communities.

Scale-up of LC:LHF2S was enabled by the inherent flexibility of the LC approach whereby the nature and pace of food system change was shaped by participants and community context.

For public health dietitians working with Indigenous communities, LC may help support community-led action towards greater food and nutrition security.

Component 2 grant from CIHR’s Pathways to Health for Indigenous Peoples (2016-19)