Not long ago one local high school was given a financial boost to help make a difference in their building. 

That school was Moose Jaw's Vanier Collegiate High School who won the Mosaic Extreme School Makeover Challenge, as the winner they received a $10,000 grant. That money was used to put in cupboards and a counter, higher a contractor, and take out the vending machines for a new opportunity called the Snack Shack. 

The school's Functionally Integrated Program(FIP) was put in charge of managing and operating the "Snack Shack", and the FIP Teacher, Niki Chalupiak, detailed one of the many benefits of this new adeventure. 

"In the end, we decided on the snack shack, we thought it would be a good way to promote more healthy snacks around the school. We took out the vending machines and put in the snack shack, that way the kids are able to come and purchase healthier snacks and at the same time the kids in my program are able to learn valuable life skills."

But giving students and staff healthy eating options wasn't the only benefit of the Snack Shack according to Chalupiak. 

"It's the Functionally Integrated Program, so the students in my class all have different disabilities and they're working on their life skills, and socializing with the other students. Being able to handle the money, communicate with the other students, count the cash box, put together all the items, grocery shop, all that stuff helps go towards their life skills."

Like with any new business the Snack Shack is still working out the kinks and trying to stock up on what is in demand. 

"We're just starting so we're just testing to see what's popular with the kids and what's not. We've had bags of carrots that you can buy, bags of grapes, we have multigrain chips and salsa, so we're just kind of working on different items we can sell that the kids can enjoy."

Looking to the future, the Snack Shack is also planning to build a garden to grow their own veggies and fruit for the stand.