Go for your life – Kitchen Garden Project with Stephanie Alexander

What are the Go for your life Kitchen Garden Project Grants?

The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in conjunction with 'Go for your life' and the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation allocated 20 grants to establish Kitchen Garden Programs in 2007 and 2008.

All interested schools are invited to attend one of four Information Sessions to be held around the State between Monday 7 April and Thursday 10 April.

Applications are now open for an additional 20 schools to be funded for 2009 and 2010.

The grants total $62,500 per school. A one-off grant of $12,500 is to be used towards the establishment of a garden and kitchen and $25,000 each year towards program specialist staffing costs.

The grants represent part-funding, and schools are required to source additional funds. The costs of establishing the garden and kitchen will vary depending on the nature of existing facilities in the school. Staffing costs will also vary, depending on the number of children who will be participating in the program and the number of hours the specialist garden and kitchen staff will need to be employed.

• A letter to schools from Stephanie Alexander (PDF - 292Kb)

What are the benefits to children of participation in a kitchen garden program?

The Kitchen Garden Program aims to positively influence children’s food choices and participation has both immediate and long-term results. Experience in the kitchen not only introduces children to a broad range of fresh food and recipes, but also provides them with kitchen skills such as:

• using a knife safely and effectively
• managing hot stoves and saucepans
• cooking techniques.

These skills are all learnt in an attractive, home-style environment.

Working in the garden is a physical activity that may be new to many children, as may:

• learning how food is grown
• how to care for the land
• the importance of seasonality.

The personal and social development of the children is also enhanced through participation in the Kitchen Garden Program. They learn that new experiences can be rewarding including failures. Their self esteem, confidence and sense of achievement is enhanced. They learn:

• to work cooperatively
• to share resources
• to respect each other
• to work alongside teachers and adult volunteers in a different learning environment
• to sit around a table together and enjoy a shared meal and conversation
• to have fun working in the garden and kitchen.

Intellectual development is also enhanced as children learn to measure, calculate and problem solve. They expand their vocabulary and language skills, and learn about foods and cultures that may be new to them.

Most importantly, the pleasure gained from growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing will be a life-long pleasure, and will affect how the children live as individuals, and as members of local and global communities.

How does the Kitchen Garden program work in schools?

The Kitchen Garden Program has four integral parts essential to enjoying delicious and healthy food:

• growing
• harvesting
• preparing
• sharing.

Food is propagated, planted and grown in a productive vegetable garden within the school grounds, tended by the children in the weekly garden classes (approximately 45 minutes) that are taught by a specialist garden staff member.

When the crop is mature, the children harvest and then cook it in their kitchen classes (approximately 90 minutes) under the guidance of their specialist kitchen staff member.

Once a range of dishes has been prepared, the children sit at dining tables in the kitchen and enjoy the shared meal. The children work in small groups in both the kitchen and the garden with the support of volunteers from the community (typically there are 4-5 volunteers per class).

The Kitchen Garden Program must be integrated into the curriculum planning of the school program. The classes are incorporated into the weekly classroom program of children in Years 3 to 6 – it is not an ‘add on’ or an elective subject.

All domains of the Physical, Personal and Social Learning strand of the Victorian Essential Learning Standards can be addressed in the Kitchen Garden Program. There is considerable potential for the school to develop links with the discipline-based learning strand (Arts, English, Languages, Humanities, Mathematics and Science). These links are enhanced by the classroom teacher’s presence in kitchen and garden classes.

Who is Stephanie Alexander? What is the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation?

Stephanie Alexander is a well-known Victorian chef, food-writer and former teacher-librarian. She believes passionately that young children will develop lasting, positive attitudes to a wide range of foods, with consequent long-term health benefits, if they are introduced to them at an early age in a pleasurable, non-judgmental way. One way of doing this is through participation in a Kitchen Garden Program in their primary school years.

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that was established under Stephanie’s leadership in 2004 to seek funding for and nurture the development of Kitchen Garden Programs in primary schools across Victoria. The Foundation’s long-term goal is to see the Kitchen Garden model and approach to learning integrated into the primary school curriculum across Australia. The Foundation is currently working with the Federal Government to achieve this vision.

What facilities must be provided by the school?

To support a Kitchen Garden Program, the school needs a garden large enough to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that can be cooked and eaten by the students. The school will frequently need to supplement the garden produce and ensure regular supplies of dry goods, as well as seeds, seedlings and other garden materials.

The program is ‘hands on’ learning, and the kitchen will require multiple workstations, with children working in groups of five at each station. A work station needs to have a stove top with four burners, a double-basin sink and ample bench space for preparation. Not every work station needs an oven.

Food handling and safety standards must be upheld, and facilities must meet expected standards of hygiene. The Foundation provides schools with guidelines and equipment needed for a successful program. For more information about specialist staffing see Who are the specialist garden and kitchen staff? below.

For guidelines and equipment needs see the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au)

For more information about food safety and handling, see Victorian Government Health Information: Food Safety (http://www.health.vic.gov.au/foodsafety)

Who are the specialist garden and kitchen staff?

Specialist staff in the Kitchen Garden Program need to have knowledge and skills that will enable them to implement appropriate activities for their classes. A non-qualified but passionate gardener or cook with an interest in working with children can organise and run an excellent Kitchen Garden Program, with the qualified class teacher attending the teaching sessions. Another option is to deploy a current member of the teaching staff with gardening and/or cooking interests and skills as the garden or kitchen specialist.

The kitchen and garden specialists work closely together, along with a Program Coordinator from the teaching staff, to plan garden activities, menus and an integrated curriculum around the garden’s seasonal growing cycle. The Foundation has developed teaching materials and Professional Development opportunities to support specialist staff in the delivery of the program.

Department of Education and Early Childhood Development regulations about staff employment are to be adhered to.

For more information about staff employment, see DEECD Human Resources (http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/hrweb)

How can the additional costs be met?

Schools selected for the program will need to raise or allocate funds that can be directed specifically towards this project to supplement the grant. This extra expenditure may include in-kind or sponsorship arrangements with local businesses and community organisations.

Schools currently implementing the program have successfully obtained support in the following ways.

• Local community groups (for example, Rotary Clubs and other service organisations), businesses and tradespersons, the local TAFE institution, and local government have given both financial and in-kind assistance in establishing and supporting their Kitchen Garden Programs.
• Parents, friends and school councils have contributed time, labour and expertise in design and construction of gardens and buildings.
• Volunteers have been recruited to work with the students under the supervision of the specialist gardener and cook in the garden and kitchen.

Similar approaches will be necessary for schools new to the program.

Sample plans and photos of kitchens and gardens showing the scope of works are available through the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au).

What assistance will be available from the Foundation?

The Foundation will provide expertise and guidance to schools as they work through the implementation of their Kitchen Garden Program. The Foundation will host group training sessions at key stages of infrastructure building, staff recruitment and program commencement.

A Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Project Officer will oversee the progress of the new schools. The Project Officer’s responsibilities will include directing the school to appropriate resources, facilitating a ‘buddy’ system, trouble-shooting and site visits.

The Foundation website hosts a library of lesson plans, activities and menu ideas for participating schools. The Foundation will not be able to contribute financially to the 20 new schools.

What are the selection criteria?

Schools making an application for the available grants will need to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophy underpinning the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program and how it will benefit their students and school community.
2. Allocate the required space to establish a productive vegetable garden and a room or building that can be converted to a home-style kitchen classroom.
3. Demonstrate a commitment by the Principal, staff, school council, school community and community partners to build/establish the required infrastructure to support a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. This will be evidenced by infrastructure plans, infrastructure building budget, projected timelines for building infrastructure and written sponsor commitment.
4. Demonstrate a commitment by the Principal, staff, school council, school community and community partners to introduce a Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program into the school curriculum. This will be evidenced by a proposed statement on how the program will be incorporated into the Annual Implementation Plan, proposed class timetable, program management budget, written commitment from ongoing community partners and volunteers’ recruitment plan.
5. Demonstrate prior successful implementation of integrated curriculum programs.
6. Demonstrate prior successful community engagement in order to support school initiatives.
7. Indicate a preparedness to take part in a formal evaluation of the Kitchen Garden Program in Australian primary schools.
8. Indicate a preparedness to collaborate with Kitchen Garden Program staff from other schools and representatives from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation to contribute to the evolving Kitchen Garden Program curriculum.
9. Commit to enabling garden and kitchen specialist staff and other appropriate school staff members to attend training workshops as required.

How do we get further information?

Download the 'Go for your life' Kitchen Garden Project with Stephanie Alexander Information Pack from the Kitchen Garden Foundation
(http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/grants.shtml)

All interested schools are invited to attend one of four Information Sessions to be held around the State between Monday 7 April and Thursday 10 April.

Attendees will hear from representatives of the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, and where possible schools currently implementing the Kitchen Garden Program.

EASTERN VICTORIA
Monday 7 April from 1.30 – 3.00 pm
Conference Room
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Gippsland Regional Office
Cnr Kirk and Haigh Streets
Moe

NORTHERN VICTORIA
Tuesday 8 April, from 1.45 – 3.15 pm
Yarrunga Primary School
Cnr White Street & Bourke Streets
Wangaratta
Tour of Kitchen Garden facilities at Yarrunga Primary School to follow session.

WESTERN VICTORIA
Wednesday 9 April from 1.30 – 3.00 pm
Wendouree Performing Arts Centre
1220 Howitt Street, Wendouree
(Adjacent to Wendouree Primary School)
Tour of Kitchen Garden facilities at Wendouree Primary School to follow session

MELBOURNE
Thursday 10 April from 1.30 – 3.00 pm
Collingwood College
Cnr Cromwell Street & McCutcheon Way
Collingwood
Tour of Kitchen Garden facilities at Collingwood College to follow session.

Registrations can be sent to via admin@kitchengardenfoundation.org.au. Please provide details:

• which session you would like to attend
• how many people will be attending
• name of school
• key contact name
• key contact email address
• key contact phone number
• questions you would like addressed that have not been answered in supporting information provided.

Further information about the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is available at the Kitchen Garden Foundation (http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au) or by telephone to (03) 8415 1993.

Program-related queries that are not covered on the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation website or in the downloadable Information Pack can be directed to the Foundation between 9.30 am and 10.30 am Monday to Friday or by email at info@kitchengardenfoundation.org.au.

Information about the application process should be directed to Ms Naomi Lind, Senior Policy Officer, Learning and Teaching Branch on telephone (03) 9637 2844 or by email at kitchen.gardens@edumail.vic.gov.au

How does our school apply?

Applications must be made on the application form. Applications can be submitted in either electronic or hard copy form. If submitting in hard copy form, two signed copies of the application must be received. Electronic submissions must include the electronic signatures of the principal and school council president.

Postal details

‘Go for your life’ Kitchen Garden Project with Stephanie Alexander
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
Attention: Naomi Lind
GPO 4367
Melbourne Vic 3001

Or

Email details

kitchen.gardens@edumail.vic.gov.au

Applications must be received by 9 May, 2008. Successful applicants will be notified in Term 3, 2008.

Download 2009-2010 application form (Word - 465Kb)