Rossland Secondary Sees Healthy Vending Profits

Contact:

Rossland Secondary School, SD #20

Name: Mike Vanness - Vice Principal

Telephone: 250-362-7388

Email: mvanness@sd20.bc.ca

Process:

Rossland Secondary School’s healthy choices vending machines were making very little profit compared to pre-"Healthy Schools" levels. Vice Principal Mike Vanness believed profits should remain high with the healthy choices.

Selkirk Vending was contacted to explore ideas to increase the profits of the healthy choices vending. Selkirk Vending offered to send a list of all the "school-safe" products they carry. This list was then copied, and various groups in the school (e.g. - Student Council, Grade 12s, teachers, admin assistants, etc) indicated their favourite snacks on the list.  Mike also spent several lunch breaks standing at the vending machine and asking students of all grades for opinions: What are the best items currently in the machine? What are the worst ones?

People Involved:

School champion (vice principal)

Selkirk Vending

Student council

Students!

Key Changes/Results

With a mutual interest in increasing profits, Selkirk proved to be a valuable partner. Getting feedback from the kids was as simple as asking their opinions and hanging out by the vending machines. The machines now contain choices that the kids like and the school is making a healthy profit.  Student Council was charged with interpreting the data collected from the students, helping to decide which products should be removed from the machines and which products to sell in place of the removed items. Selkirk Vending made the requested changes.

Keys to Success

Ongoing involvement. On Wednesdays, Mike meets with Selkirk Vending to discuss changes for the week. They often remove the weakest seller and replace it with a new option.