Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

Work with us! We're seeking a Finance and Operations Manager to lead delivery of our whole of organisational approach to finance and compliance, people and culture, ICT and enabling operational systems. 📍 Location: Melbourne (inner) 🗓 Applications close: 5pm (AEST) 22 January 2025 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gzVd2UGS Join the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation to contribute to our long-term sustainability, while helping us drive preventative positive change in the food, health, wellbeing and sustainability habits of children and young people, families and communities across Australia. 

We are thrilled to announce a transformative three-year partnership with the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (VicHealth) aimed at giving children at more than 500 Victorian schools a positive relationship with fresh, healthy food. Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas MP said, “Educating children about fresh, healthy food in a hands-on and engaging way is one of the best things we can do to set them up for a lifetime of good health. Through this new partnership, VicHealth and the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation will help build healthier, happier futures for children across Victoria—one garden and kitchen at a time.” We launched the partnership at Hallam Primary School with Stephanie Alexander AO, Dr Cathy Wilkinson, Dr Sandro Demaio and member for Narre Warren North Belinda Wilson. Prep to Grade 2 students sliced, diced and kneaded an incredible garden menu of beetroot carpaccio, vegetable soup, herb foccacia and freshly squeezed orange juice from their little orchard. Seeing the kitchen whirring with activity was a symbolic moment for both organisations to witness the impact of the Kitchen Garden Program firsthand. Learn more about the partnership and how Victorian communities will benefit at https://lnkd.in/geUN9_iq Department of Education Victorian Department of Health Mark Butler Jason Clare MP Ben Carroll

In our latest article for our friends at Lunch Lady magazine, we celebrate food education, and why it matters. Ever noticed how much kids love digging in the dirt? Turns out, it’s not just fun – it’s food education in action! Read the full story via the link.

We would like to give special thanks to our printing partner MSP Photography Pty Ltd and Compass Education for their support in 2024.    Since 2021, MSP Photography and Compass Education have supported the Foundation by printing our educational workbooks, lesson plans and material, brochures, recipe cards and everything in between.     Their printing support means our pleasurable food education model reaches educators and communities, inspires change in schools and early childhood services and helps us advocate for our work to government and potential funding partners.      This year, MSP Photography and Compass Education sponsored our inaugural Kitchen Garden Awards. Staff members from MSP recently visited the winner of ‘The Art of Kitchen Gardening’ category, Berrima Public School in NSW, to present their award and watch the children demonstrate their Kitchen Garden Program in action.     It’s been so lovely to see our Kitchen Garden Program schools form meaningful relationships with our partners this year. Likes us, they also share the same vision of supporting children to live in a thriving, healthy community where food literacy and access to fresh, nourishing produce is a reality. 

We’d like to express our deepest thanks to Ian Sanders, who has served on the Board of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation for an incredible eight years.  As Ian steps down from his role as Chair, we are profoundly grateful for his commitment. A steadfast leader, he has helped guide the Foundation through significant challenges and successes, while always keeping our mission and vision at the forefront. As a relationship partner and auditor with 30 years experience, both in Australia and the US, Ian has contributed a wealth of knowledge in governance, strategy and financial oversight. His work at Deloitte, along with his broad experience across sectors such as renewable energy, education and manufacturing, has made him an exceptional board member. Ian's early leadership as Treasurer, and as Chair on our Audit, Finance and Remuneration Committee, has been instrumental in ensuring the Foundation’s financial health and long-term sustainability. We are pleased to announce the appointment of our new Chair, Maryjane Crabtree, who has served five months on the Board and will now guide the Foundation into its next chapter, alongside CEO Dr Cathy Wilkinson and the Management Team. Maryjane is a highly experienced lawyer and governance expert, having served on numerous boards and committees across health, sport and education. We’re thrilled to have her at the helm and look forward to working with the entire Board to further our mission of helping children form positive food habits for life. Janet Whiting Dr Catherine Keating Marianne Margin Simon Bell Svetlana Johnson

In 2004, Arnold Bloch Leibler helped us establish the Foundation, paving the way for us to be recognised as a global leader in promoting the prevention of disease through pleasurable food education. We are so grateful for ABL's timely, friendly and approachable team who have provided us significant support over the past 20 years. Read our client spotlight below.

👏 Just look at the community garden taking shape at Gippsland and East Gippsland Aboriginal Co-operative Ltd (GEGAC)! The Foundation is proud to be involved with the 'VACCHO – Our food connections project', working alongside the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (VACCHO). 🌿 The GEGAC community garden was constructed after close collaboration with their Elders centre. We coordinated the equipment, supplies and beautiful plants needed to establish the garden. This garden will serve as the foundation for monthly workshops that focus on culturally appropriate, community-led approaches to food literacy for the whole GEGAC community – young and old. It is on its way to becoming a place for sharing cultural wisdom and creating a space for everyone to come together. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gDxntZ-g 📷 Aunty Jeanette Edwards, Aunty Jessie George and Aunty Dorothy Moffatt plant some of the very first herbs and veggies of the new garden at the GEGAC Elders Lounge. #OurFoodConnections #FoodPATH #VACCHO #HealthyCommunities

A worthy award for an incredible community-led organisation! Congratulations Western District Health Service for being recognised at the Victorian Department of Health's Public Healthcare Awards. We value the opportunity working alongside you through our place-based community projects - most recently on the Western District Kitchen Garden Project - to ensure fresh, healthy food choices are available for children, young people and their families across the region.

We are proud to have been selected as one of the top 100 educational innovations in HundrED's Global Collection Report 2025. Chosen out of 3,000+ programs, our Kitchen Garden Program was selected for our proven ability to transform education systems and equip students with the skills to thrive as global citizens. HundrEDorg's Global Collection Report presents a curated selection of the world's most impactful and scalable educational innovations. The 2025 report reflects the challenges and transformations of recent years, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic, and highlights initiatives that address critical issues such as equity, wellbeing, creativity, and access to quality education. Read the 2025 #HundrEDGlobalCollection here: https://lnkd.in/exakFnz5

🍎 Introducing food education to children can transform a whole community.    ️Holy Family Primary School in Doveton, Victoria received a Kitchen Garden Kickstart Grant in 2024. The grant and membership to the Kitchen Garden Program has given the school a unique opportunity to connect with families and local community - through the simple act of growing delicious food.      Excess produce grown in the Kitchen Garden Program is handed out at school pickup times. Recently, students grew some incredible cauliflowers and displayed them at the front of their school. Nearly 90% of children at Holy Family Primary School come from non-English speaking backgrounds. Parents were so impressed with the garden bounty that many came forward and introduced themselves to school staff to share their knowledge of farming practices and growing.    To support even more children and families, we need your help. Please donate to our Food Education Drive (FED) so all Australian children can learn where their food comes from and how to live healthy, resilient lives.       No donation is too small.    Click here to donate today: https://bit.ly/DonateFED    Or feel free to reach out to us at partnerships@kitchengardenfoundation.org.au to help us in our mission.    #FoodEducationDrive