David Thompson High School was one of 20 Alberta schools selected to attend the Inside Education summit in Edmonton from Nov. 6-9, 2025.

The summit was designed to help students explore the science, technology, innovation and careers connected to sustainable agriculture in Alberta.

Over four days, DTHS students Ryley Glasier, Skyler Herzog, Dani Hemsworth and Kyrah Roker heard from industry experts, academics, producers, Indigenous leaders and environmental advocates about the future of sustainable agriculture in Alberta and across Canada.

“Attending cultiv8 was a game-changer for our school. It didn’t just shift our understanding of agricultural issues; it opened our eyes to perspectives we didn’t even know existed,” says science and biology teacher Janine Morrish. “It didn’t feel like a standard conference; it felt like becoming part of a community.”

Morrish said it was “easily” the best professional development she has experienced, adding that Inside Education made the process “easy, fun and deeply engaging.”

She said students initially expected to build a garden box or grow a small garden for their conference project. Instead, after watching two short films at the summit — The Root of It All and Reduce, Reuse, Ruminate — they decided to take their project further.

The students now hope to create a short documentary on reducing food waste and the value of food to share with their peers.

To that end, Morrish says the students plan to speak with local farmers, as well as learn more about food waste and local innovations in agriculture.

The documentary is in its early stages, Morrish said, as students plan to discuss the project among themselves and develop a production timeline.