Benefits of fresh food demonstrated in schools
The Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon has announced that primary school children in Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales and the ACT will soon enjoy the benefits of growing, preparing and sharing fresh food, with a demonstration school in each State and Territory to be established as part of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
The Rudd Government has committed $60,000 for each school to implement the program in up to 190 government primary schools nationally. The Government has also committed an additional $80,000 over two years to fund specialist kitchen and garden staff in the demonstration schools.
The program will help tackle the levels of childhood obesity by giving children hands-on experience in healthy eating. School children in years 3-6 will get the opportunity to work in a productive garden, harvest the food, cook it in a purpose-built teaching kitchen and sit down with other students and parents to taste and enjoy what they have made.
The demonstration schools are:
- South Australia – Elizabeth Downs Primary School
- Tasmania – Moonah Primary School
- Western Australia – Palymra Primary School
- New South Wales – Bondi Public School
- ACT – Majura Primary School
These schools join Alawa Primary School which was announced as the demonstration site for the Northern Territory on 30 October 2008. Victoria already has demonstration schools, with the program having been successfully delivered in that state for the past seven years. A further announcement will be made in the New Year on the successful demonstration school for Queensland.
The program is part of the Rudd Government’s fresh approach to tackling the growing rates of childhood obesity in Australia, and recognises that children learn best through interaction and positive examples.
Grant applications for the 2008 funding round of the kitchen garden program are now closed and will be announced in the New Year. The next round of grants for schools wanting to be involved is expected to open in mid-2009, with further funding rounds in 2010 and 2011.
For more information about the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program, see: http://www.healthyactive.gov.au/internet/healthyactive/publishing.nsf/Content/kitchen-garden.
