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The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

We aim to see children form positive food habits for life, through supporting educators to deliver pleasurable food education.

A positive, preventative health and education program supporting cross-curriculum learning and development outcomes including STEM, literacy, cultural studies, health, PE and the arts. The program improves school engagement and social connection for children, young people, their families and communities, enabling them to form positive food, health, sustainability, and wellbeing habits for life.

HundrED 2025
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Overview

HundrED has selected this innovation to

HundrED Global Collection 2025

Web presence

2001

Established

1M

Children

1

Countries
Target group
Students basic
Updated
July 2024
The flexible, adaptable, inclusive and holistic approach of the Kitchen Garden Program delivers significant wellbeing benefits with impact in all six domains of Australia’s wellbeing framework for children and young people, known as the Nest. We hope to see all types of learners supported to achieve their educational, health and wellbeing goals through hands-on kitchen and garden classes.

About the innovation

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is a not-for-profit charity that provides educational resources, training, support and inspiration to deliver pleasurable food education to Australian children and young people.

The Foundation was established by Stephanie Alexander AO in 2004, in response to the overwhelming interest in and success of the first Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program pilot at Collingwood College, Melbourne, from 2001.

OUR VISION
Healthy children and young people living in sustainable communities across Australia.

OUR PURPOSE
Enabling children and young people to form positive food habits for life.

OUR ROLE
Supporting communities and educators across Australia to deliver pleasurable food education and kitchen garden programs for children and young people by providing inspiration, information, extensive resources, capability and professional development, a national community of practice, and ongoing support.

OUR APPROACH
Pleasurable food education

Pleasurable food education inspires children and young people to understand and connect with fresh, seasonal and delicious food through fun, hands-on learning. This approach empowers children and young people to develop practical skills, an appreciation of seasonal produce, and a positive, confident and healthy relationship with food – for life.

Linked to the Australian curriculum, the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program supports cross-curriculum learning in STEM/STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics), along with cultural studies, health, and physical education.

The Kitchen Garden Program covers the continuum of education from early learning through to primary and secondary schools, and is now delivered in over 1,000 settings across Australia, teaching students the joys of growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing fresh, seasonal, delicious food.

Impact & scalability

HundrED Academy Reviews

This innovation combines formal and informal education in a way that helps foster and sustain children's well-being through interactive, engaging experiences and teaching children healthy food habits, increasing their potential to succeed in life.

As this innovation was implemented directly into the school curriculum of Australia, it could be done in other countries as well, because all it requires is cooperation from the school. The material and curriculum are already pre-designed.

- Academy member
Academy review results
Impact
Scalability
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Exceptional
High
Moderate
Limited
Insufficient
Read more about our selection process

Implementation steps

Become a member

Become a kitchen garden member here: https://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/membership

Attend "Getting Started" online training
We support school and early childhood services educators to build skills and capacity through a "train the trainer" model. Your appointed Kitchen Garden Program coordinator/s are invited to attend a getting started information session at the beginning of your membership to get things growing.
Familiarise with Program resources
Printed resource package includes:
(NB: example for Primary school below - Early Years and Secondary Years resources also available as applicable to membership)
Getting Started: A Guide to Establishing a Kitchen Garden Program
Kitchen Garden Syllabus for Primary (Years F-2) Books 1 & 2
Kitchen Garden Syllabus for Primary (Years 3-6) Books 1-4
Literacy & Numeracy in the Kitchen and Garden
Kitchen Garden Program Seasonal Planner
Join our Community of Practice
Join our Community of Practice through: Program enrichment webinars
One-on-one online support catch-ups
Face-to-face professional development
Shared Table – resource and community hub

Spread of the innovation

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