SAKGF Queensland Program Application Guide OUR... · 2011. 7. 22. · Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Queensland Program Application Guide 2011 Program Grants are open to all Queensland

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Queensland Program is funded by the Queensland Government

APPLICATIONS POST-DATED 9 SEPTEMBER 2011 OR EARLIER OR EMAILED BEFORE 11:59PM ON 9 SEPTEMBER 2011 WILL BE ACCEPTED.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Queensland Program QUEENSLAND PROGRAM GRANTS 2011 – APPLICATION GUIDE

This guide is designed to help you complete the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Queensland Program Grants 2011 Application Form available at: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/our-schools-program/funding-opportunities/queensland-program

Please read the following guidelines carefully and ensure you check off all items required. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation Project Officer Mel Schouten.

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Queensland Program Application Guide 2011

Early applications are encouraged!

1. Before commencing your application, download the full Application Pack, consisting of the following documents, from http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/our-schools-program/funding-opportunities/queensland-program

a. Application Form

b. Application Guide (this document)

c. Budget Attachment

d. Budget Examples

2. Complete the Application Form after reading this supporting documentation fully.

3. Complete the Application Form by filling in or selecting responses in the grey sections, as indicated. Please observe word limits provided.

4. Complete the provided Budget Attachment. The Budget Attachment is an MS Excel file containing three worksheets – these are Attachments D, E and F that are required in your Application Form.

5. Ensure the School Principal has signed the Executive Summary section on page 2 of your Application Form AND that the final Declaration on page 9 has been signed by the correct parties.

6. Please do not include CDs or additional items.

7. Please do not bind or staple the pages together – bulldog clips are preferred.

8. Submit your application in one of the following ways:

a. Mailed applications: submit 3 signed copies of the completed Application Form, Attachments and photos, in no larger than A4 format (photocopies are acceptable), post-dated 9 September 2011 to:

Queensland Program Applications

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

PO Box 104 Abbotsford VIC 3067

OR

b. Emailed applications: [email protected] by 11:59pm on 9 September 2011, with images in jpeg, gif or pdf format only (max 500 KB file sizes). Please include approvals from your Principal, School Council President and Regional Approver by either scanning signed copies of the Executive summary and Declaration sections of the Application Form or providing supporting emails from these individuals.


Background information

• Melbourne chef and food writer Stephanie Alexander developed the Kitchen Garden Program with Victorian school Collingwood College in 2001, and went on to establish the Foundation in 2004 to support other schools implementing the Program.

• The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF) provides expertise and guidance to successful applicant schools as they work through the implementation of their Kitchen Garden Program with funding from the Australian Government.

• The Foundation hosts training sessions at key stages of infrastructure building, staff recruitment and Program commencement.

• A Foundation Project Officer oversees the progress of successful applicant schools. The Project Officer’s responsibilities include directing the school to appropriate resources, facilitating a ‘buddy’ system with neighbouring schools, trouble-shooting and site visits.

• The Foundation supports the sharing of teaching materials and provides professional development opportunities to support Specialist staff delivering the Program.

• The Foundation does not contribute financially to the successful applicant schools.

• Under the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Queensland Program Grants (Program Grants), successful schools receive a grant of up to $60,000(plus GST) to establish a productive edible garden and home-style kitchen on school grounds, which facilitates the implementation and delivery of the Kitchen Garden Program.

• Implementing the Program requires employing a Kitchen Specialist and a Garden Specialist to plan, prepare and deliver regular garden and kitchen classes plus the allocation of several hours per week to a Program Coordinator selected from the existing teaching staff. Please note, funding is not available for the payment of these staff salaries and it is a requirement for applicant schools to demonstrate the ability to resource this component of the Program.

• The number of hours the Kitchen and Garden Specialist staff will need to be employed will depend on the number of students participating in the Program.

• Schools are strongly encouraged to draw on their own resources and engage community networks to support their individual Programs.

• This comprehensive application process is designed to assist with the pre-planning required by the school community as a whole to introduce the Kitchen Garden Program as a fully integrated component of the school curriculum.

• Schools receiving a grant will need to demonstrate an initial commitment to continue the Program for two years and to work towards embedding the Program into the school curriculum for the long term.

‘Establishing a Kitchen Garden Program will be worth the effort and the children will learn so much. I believe that some of what is learned will continue to influence these students long after they have moved on from their years in the Kitchen Garden Program. The more entrenched the philosophy becomes in the school the richer the learnings can be.’

Stephanie Alexander, Founder, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

The Role of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation

The Grants


Program Grants are open to all Queensland government schools with a primary enrolment.

Program Grant funds will be made available to schools in late 2011. While each school’s plan for building their garden and kitchen infrastructure will be unique, it is expected that participating schools will be experiencing the full Kitchen Garden Program by Term 3 2012.

Timeframe Event

27 July Queensland grant applications open

9 September Queensland grant applications close

Term 4 2011 Successful schools announced

Term 4 2011 Agreements finalised, signed and funds paid

Term 4 2011 Project Implementation Training and first Foundation visits to schools

Grant Payment (GP) + 3 months Projects initiated in schools

GP + 6 months Garden completed and classes commenced

GP + 9 months Kitchen completed and classes commenced

• These are the requirements that your school, and importantly your Principal, are agreeing to.

• If this application is assembled by other people within the school community, it is imperative that your Principal understand the commitment required to implement the Program.

Required elements:

• Garden classes of 45 mins each week (fortnightly for greater than 6 classes)

• Kitchen classes of 90 mins each week (fortnightly for greater than 6 classes)

• Employment of a dedicated permanent part-time Garden Specialist (funded by the school)

• Employment of a dedicated permanent part-time Kitchen Specialist (funded by the school)

• Attendance and participation in all kitchen and garden classes by the Classroom Teacher

• Sufficient preparation time for the two Specialists outside of class time

• Allocation of a Program Coordinator from the teaching staff (min. 3 hrs per week funded by the school)

• Whole-school commitment to the philosophy of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program

• Whole-school commitment to integrate the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program with the school curriculum

• Demonstrated ability for the school to fund associated staffing and ongoing Program costs

• Required space for a productive garden, kitchen classroom and dining area.

Completing the Application Form:

• The Application Form is designed to be completed electronically, rather than in print.

• Please take your time with each section of the Application Form and check with Project Officer Mel Schouten if you are uncertain about any element.

The following sections directly reflect the sections in the Application Form.

Eligibility for Grants

Project Timeline

Executive Summary


This section provides a checklist to help your school complete the application fully. Failure to attach any item may result in your school’s application being ineligible.

Example

Required Attachments

A. Garden Plan – preferably an A3 1:100 or 1:200 plan

B. Kitchen Plan – preferably an A3 1:100 or 1:200 plan

C. School Site Plan from the Department of Works EQ

D. Garden Infrastructure Budget (within Budget Attachment provided

E. Kitchen Infrastructure Budget (within Budget Attachment provided)

F. Program Management Budget (within Budget Attachment provided)

G. Letters of support from potential partners/sponsors pages

H. 4 photographs

Helpful hints

• Make sure you include correct postal and contact information as we will rely upon this to communicate with you.

• Your secondary contact, other than your Principal, will ideally be your Program Coordinator or Project Manager.

• The Project Manager role is generally held by a qualified person in the school community and is required only for the duration of building the garden and kitchen infrastructure.

• The Program Coordinator role is an ongoing position that provides integration between the kitchen and the garden and the whole-school curriculum.

Helpful hints

• The Kitchen Garden Program is designed for children in the final four years of primary school i.e. Years 4–7 in Queensland.

• The information you provide about the number of classes and total enrolment numbers for Years 4–7 provides an immediate snapshot of school ‘size’, and will help both you and the Foundation calculate the infrastructure and staffing levels required to deliver the Program.

• Ideally schools will involve all children in Years 4–7, as this means most of your students will experience three or even four years of the Program.

• Several participating schools have chosen to extend the Program to younger years and have adapted the activities and menus to suit. This is a decision for each individual school.

1. Checklist of mandatory attachments

2. School Information

3. School Enrolment – Projected in 2011/2012


Example

3.1 Estimated total student enrolment (pre-primary to Year 7): 246

Enter your school’s estimated total student enrolment for next year

3.2 Estimated total enrolment in participating year groups (Years 4–7) 135

Enter the number of students in participating years that will be involved in the Program.

3.3 Estimated number of classes required: 6

Estimate the number of classes required based on participating students.

The Garden

4.1 Existing and proposed garden space

• To support a Kitchen Garden Program, a school needs a garden large enough to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that can be cooked and eaten by the students. The more productive your school garden is, the less top-up produce you will need to purchase, thereby reducing the ongoing costs of the Program.

• To start this process, ask the following questions:

a Do you have an existing garden?

o If the answer is Yes, measure the area in square metres. Include in your calculations any water tanks, composting bins, chicken coops etc. e.g. 300 square metres.

o If the answer is No, enter 0 square metres.

b If you answered Yes above, consider whether your school requires extra beds or infrastructure.

If you answered No above, enter your proposed garden space.

E.g. 350 square metres

c Add the existing garden space (4.1.a) to the proposed new garden space (4.1 b)

E.g. 300 square metres + 350 square metres = 650 square metres

d Divide the total garden space (4.1.d) by the total number of participating children (3.2)

E.g. 650 square metres/135 students = 4.8 square metres

Helpful hint

To determine square metres, measure the length and the width of your space and then multiply; e.g. a 30 m length × 10 m width garden is 300 square metres (m2).

4. Infrastructure – Your Garden and Your Kitchen


Example

a Existing garden space 300 square metres

b Proposed new garden space 350 square metres

c Total garden space 650 square metres

d Total area of garden per child in Program 4.8 square metres

e Distance to water supply from garden/proposed garden space 5 metres

f Distance to power supply from garden/proposed garden space 10 metres

g Greenhouse Proposed

h Shed Proposed

i Orchard Proposed

j Class meeting area /outdoor learning area Existing

k Tanks Existing

l Irrigation Existing

m Chook house Not Proposed

Helpful link

Further detailed information on A Productive Garden, including example plans and photographs, is available at: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/resources/resource-area/resource-article/in-the-garden/1

4.2 Existing garden space

If you have an existing garden, what does it include? What materials have been used to create it? What labour went into the creation of the garden? How many and what types of beds do you have?

4.3 Proposed new garden space

If your school intends to build or extend your garden (i.e. you do not have an existing garden and you propose any space in 4.1 b, describe the plans. Where will you find the labour required to build the garden? What types of materials will you use?

4.4 Proposed timeline/milestones for garden construction

Building your garden is a project that should have definitive dates. Your school needs to be able to commit to having the infrastructure complete and garden classes begun within 8 months of joining the Program, OR explain what elements will not be ready on time.

The Kitchen

4.5 Existing and/or proposed kitchen space

• To support a Kitchen Garden Program, a school needs a kitchen classroom that enables hands-on learning. The Foundation recommends a number of design features to ensure that every child is meaningfully occupied and able to contribute to the preparation of delicious and varied meals. Each school creates a kitchen in their own way, depending upon their available space and budget.

• TAFE institutions have been very supportive of the Program and have assisted many schools in the kitchen building phase.


• Some schools are lucky to have unused classrooms which can be renovated, others have built new structures on site, refitted a multi-purpose room, or set up a shared space for specialist programs such as art or after-school care. One school transformed a decommissioned boys’ toilet block. If using an existing classroom, the first step for a school community is to commission a plan for the renovation.

Helpful links

We recommend you read Building Your Kitchen: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/resources/resource-area/resource-article/in-the-kitchen/2/22/building-your-kitchen

Also look at our gallery of schools building their kitchens: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/resources/resource-area/image-gallery/building-the-kitchen/4

Questions your school should consider and answer in the table provided:

a Is it a new or existing building?

b What type of building is it, or will it be?

c Have you checked for the presence of asbestos?

d Does the existing or proposed kitchen have access to a power supply?

e Do you have access to a sufficient power supply to meet the needs of your proposed kitchen (or upgrade to your existing kitchen if required)? Consider the scenario of all your proposed ovens operating along with stoves and several appliances operating simultaneously.

f Does the existing or proposed kitchen have access to a water supply?

g If you require gas for your cooktops, do you have access to an existing gas supply? (Complete only if your kitchen works include the installation of gas fittings.)

h Measure the number of metres from the existing or proposed kitchen to the gas supply. (Complete only if your kitchen works include the installation of gas fittings.)

i Measure the area of the proposed or existing classroom and dining area. (The dining area should cater for all types of weather. Although an outdoor eating area is a fantastic addition to any kitchen, it must be enclosed and suitable for year round use if it is the only area in which classes are to share their meals.)

j Calculate the number of workstations that you require for your school to run the Program. (It is recommended that classes be split into groups of 4 or 5 to maximise learning outcomes in kitchen classes. Hence classes of 25 students require 5 workstations to keep all children actively engaged in the Program. Each workstation has a stovetop with four burners, a double-basin sink and ample bench space for preparation.)

k Calculate the total area per workstation. It is recommended that 9 m2 is a safe area for a group of 4-5 students plus one volunteer.

l Calculate the preparation space per workstation. For a group of 4 to 5 students, we recommend a minimum of 4.5 m of linear space.

m Each workstation should have a sink.

n Each workstation should have a stovetop.

o Not every workstation requires an oven, for instance 3 ovens in the example of 5 workstations would be acceptable.

p A harvest table is an essential element of the Program, and is used to prominently display freshly grown produce.

q Sufficient dining space for the entire class as well as one volunteer per work group and the classroom teacher and Specialist is recommended. Oval tables seating 8–10 people (children and adults together) are ideal.

r A pantry and washing machine(s) are highly recommended. Schools choosing not to include a washing machine will find the volunteer labour to keep aprons and tea towels clean is quite high.

s Does the existing or proposed kitchen account for grease traps?


Example

a Existing or new building New building

b Building type e.g. transportable, brick, cladding Cladding

c Has building been checked for presence of asbestos? (Yes/No) Yes

d Access to power supply Yes

e Electricity upgrade required No

f Access to water supply Yes

g Access to gas supply Yes

h Distance of kitchen to existing gas supply 5 metres

i Total area of proposed kitchen classroom and dining area 140 square metres

j Number of workstations 5

k Total area per workstation 9 square metres

l Length of preparation space per workstation 4.5 metres

m Number of sinks 5

n Number of stove tops 5

o Number of ovens 5

p Harvest table Yes

q Dining tables and chairs Yes

r Pantry/washing machine area Both

s Does sink contain an existing or proposed grease-trap Yes

4.6 The new kitchen/dining area and/or fit-out

• If your school will build the kitchen infrastructure as part of the project (i.e. you do not have an existing kitchen) describe the plans. Where will you find the labour required to build the kitchen? What types of materials will you use?

• If you are fitting out an existing kitchen, again describe the labour required and the materials that will be used.

4.7 Proposed timeline/milestones for kitchen construction

Building your kitchen is a project that should have definitive dates. Your school needs to be able to commit to having the infrastructure complete and kitchen classes begun within 12 months of joining the Program, OR explain what elements will not be ready on time.

4.8 Building the Education Revolution implications

The Building the Education Revolution (BER) may have implications for your infrastructure project. Perhaps you are using a BER building for your kitchen or your garden space is impacted by site works. Answer yes or no. Provide impact details.


• Project management is a very important aspect of the infrastructure planning. It is strongly recommended that applicant schools seek the commitment of an individual with construction project management to coordinate this role on behalf of the school.

• Most schools will have experienced the disruption of building projects. In order to successfully complete the works in the estimated timeline and maximise the grant effectiveness, both the garden and kitchen construction projects need a dedicated Project Manager.

• Several Principals in participating schools have admirably taken on the role of Project Manager, but ideally they need to be free to manage daily school business.

5.1 Nominate your allocated Project Manager/s for the garden and kitchen construction and outline their relevant experience.

Your allocated Project Manager/s will ideally have had previous experience in garden construction and/or project management.

5.2 The total projected cost for completing full garden, kitchen and dining facilities.

• Fill in Attachment D and Attachment E. The first worksheet, Garden Infrastructure Budget, is split into Sections 1 through to 3.The totals for these three sections are calculated at the bottom of the worksheet.

• The second worksheet, Kitchen Infrastructure Budget, is split into Sections 4 through to 6. This worksheet should include the totals for both the Garden Infrastructure Budget (Sections 1–3) and the Kitchen Infrastructure Budget (Sections 4–6), i.e. Sections 1 through to 6.

• Hence the totals of Sections 1 through to 6 equals the total cost of building your garden, kitchen and dining space.

5.3 Total grant request amount

• This amount is directly drawn from your attached budget. Note that this amount must not exceed the total projected cost at 5.2. Maximum funds available per school are $60,000.

Helpful hints:

• The Budget Template and Budget Examples are available at: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/our-schools-program/funding-opportunities/national-program-grantsWhen completing the Budget Template, please include any GST you have been quoted as the grant can cover this cost.

• Grants of up to $60,000(+ GST) are available to schools.

6.1 Funding the ongoing staffing costs for the Garden Specialist and Kitchen Specialist.

• The Foundation advocates the appointment of fully paid specialist staff to deliver the Program. In this integrated model, the Garden and Kitchen Specialists work closely with a Program Coordinator to plan garden activities and menus which are integrated into the curriculum. The Specialists are therefore a part of the school’s teaching team.

• Specialist staff will need to have knowledge and skills which enable them to implement appropriate activities for their classes. Many non-qualified but passionate gardeners or cooks with an interest in

5. Managing the Construction Project

6. Ability to Fund Staffing and Program Costs


working with children organise and run excellent Kitchen Garden Programs in schools around Australia, with the qualified class teacher attending the teaching sessions.

• Specialist staffing considerations should encompass planning and preparation time as well as contact time. The outcome of reduced planning time in the kitchen is a watered down Program. Ultimately this means that the full potential of the Program is compromised.

While it is hoped that schools receiving grants will be committed to the Program in the long term, it is a requirement of the grant that schools run the full operational kitchen and garden program for a minimum of 2 years.

What will be the ongoing costs of the Program?

Costs include training for Specialists and other staff, ongoing garden and kitchen supplies, maintenance costs and miscellaneous items.

What are training costs likely to include?

The capacity to send one or two staff members to regular training (up to 4 times per year) at a metropolitan location include travel, accommodation if required and staff back-fill costs.

How will our school fund the roles of Garden and Kitchen Specialists?

There are many ways in which schools fund these roles. A multifaceted approach to raising funds is recommended to ensure long term sustainability of the positions to support the Program. Examples include through philanthropic donations, student levees and fundraising. Note that classroom teachers are required in garden and kitchen classes and hence release time cannot be used as a means to fund these roles.

6.2 Total salary figure over 2 years.

This amount should be drawn directly from your Program Management budget in Attachment F.

Helpful link

Use the Program Management Estimation Guide available to help determine staffing costs: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/our-schools-program/funding-opportunities/program-management-estimation-guide

Refer to the Budget Examples and complete the Budget Attachment (D, E and F) provided at: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/our-schools-program/funding-opportunities/queensland-program

7.1 Why does your school want to implement a Kitchen Garden Program and how will it support your strategic plan?

The Kitchen Garden Program provides pleasurable food education for young children. The underlying belief is that this holistic approach can positively influence children’s food choices. The creation and care of a Kitchen Garden teaches children about the natural world, its beauty and how to care for it, how best to use the resources we have, and an appreciation for how easy it is to bring joy and wellbeing into one’s life through growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing fresh, seasonal produce.

The Kitchen Garden Program philosophy will appeal to different schools for different reasons. Describe the philosophical fit for your school and the benefits you believe it may bring to students, teachers and the broader community.

7. Embedding the Program Philosophy


7.2 Are you prepared to include the Kitchen Garden Program in your school’s weekly/fortnightly timetable?

Ensuring the Kitchen Garden Program is part of the school’s everyday activities, rather than an ‘extra’, is critical to the success of the Program. (Note: all successful applicants will be required to submit a full timetable before joining the Program.)

7.3 How will the Kitchen Garden Program support and enhance traditional learning streams?

Part of the success of the Program depends on the learnings from kitchen and garden classes being used to reinforce traditional learning streams such as maths and English. You should be able to demonstrate an understanding of how this is achieved.

7.4 Indicate how your school will incorporate the Kitchen Garden Program into your curriculum planning process.

All school planning should incorporate Kitchen Garden Program planning, as a vital and intrinsic part of your school’s curriculum. You need to indicate how your school will ensure the Program will be incorporated into your current planning processes.

Helpful links

• The About the Program section of the Foundation website explains the philosophy underpinning the Kitchen Garden Program. We advocate a fully integrated model in which every stage of the cycle – growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing – enjoys the same emphasis and value. After seven years of ‘testing’, this recipe for a successful Kitchen Garden Program was developed with the input of all participating schools: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/about-the-program

• Kitchen Garden Cooking with Kids (Stephanie Alexander with Anna Dollard, Penguin Books 2006) tells the story of the Kitchen Garden at Collingwood College, as well as providing 120 recipes cooked by the children, and can be purchased through the Foundation website: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/shop or your local bookshop.

• The Foundation has also produced a 10-minute DVD about implementing the Kitchen Garden Program, including before-and-after case studies from two Victorian schools. The DVD can be purchased via the Foundation website: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/shop

• Visitors can visit a Demonstration School and see the Kitchen Garden Program in action. For details please visit: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/our-schools-program

• Many schools participating in the Kitchen Garden Program are happy to open their doors to visitors from potential applicant schools. Some schools have greater capacity to host visits than others. Please be sure to contact the school first: http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/our-schools-program

8.1 Nominate your allocated Program Coordinator of the operational Program, and identify their current role in the school

Once the Program is fully operational (i.e. garden and kitchen classes are under way), the school will need to allocate a Program Coordinator from the teaching staff to work with the Kitchen and Garden Specialists and other school staff to ensure effective coordination and integration of the Program.

8.2 How many hours per week will be allocated to Program Coordination?

It is recommended that the Program Coordinator be allocated at least 3 hours per week.

8. Commitment to the Program


8.3 How will the school integrate Kitchen Garden Program specialist staff into the school community and teaching program?

Schools find it beneficial to include their Garden and Kitchen Specialists in their staff team, including staff meetings, curriculum planning days and importantly, social events.

See the information on staffing (Error! Reference source not found.) in order to factor in planning and preparation time for specialist staff. Also read the Bittern Primary School Principal’s Perspective provided as an appendix to this Application Guide. These provide useful background information when planning your Kitchen Garden Program staffing and completing your Program Management Budget.

9.1 What is the extent of current volunteer activity in your school? How does the school propose to source and retain sufficient volunteers to support the Kitchen Garden Program?

In both the garden and the kitchen, children work in small groups with the support of a volunteer under the supervision of the specialist staff and the classroom teacher. As the average class sizes range from 20 to 25 students, the Program works to its full potential when there are 4–5 volunteers per garden class, and 4–5 volunteers per kitchen class. In a school where 150 children participate in the Program, that equates to 2,000 volunteer hours per year. Recruiting and keeping volunteers is a significant aspect of the Kitchen Garden Program and it is important to have some planning in place for these vital team members.

9.2 List your school’s existing community partners

Existing community partnerships can also provide a vital head-start in preparing for your Kitchen Garden Program.

Schools may be required to source additional funds or donations in kind to build the infrastructure. There is enormous scope for community assistance in this area and the experience of participating schools has been significant: from volunteer labour and trades assistance through to free or discounted goods. However, as part of this application process we ask schools to seek letters of firm commitment for individual budget items to support the application. 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 Kitchen Garden Programs in local schools.

• Parents, friends and school councils have contributed time, labour and expertise in design and construction of gardens and buildings.

Similar approaches will be necessary for schools new to the Program. A pro forma letter to potential sponsors is available as an appendix to this document. We also suggest potential sponsors visit the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation website if they would like to know more about the Program: www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au

Helpful hint

Letters of support, providing evidence of community partners listed in 9.2 as well as your school’s ability to engage your community, will strengthen your application.

In signing the application, your School Council President and your Regional Director acknowledge the items listed on this page of the application.

Applications must receive approval prior to submission. It is strongly recommended that your school engage EQ from the outset of considering an application.

9. Examples of Community Engagement

Declaration


APPENDIX A

A Principal’s Perspective

Catherine Phillips, Principal, Bittern Primary School (VIC)

‘Go for your life’ Kitchen Garden Project at Bittern Primary School

Before we received the ‘Go for your life’ Kitchen Garden Project with Stephanie Alexander grant, we already had a small garden and were trying to cook with the produce in our staffroom or in classrooms but were becoming frustrated with the lack of space and facilities. The funding allowed us to expand our garden and put in a kitchen and have all the students from Years 3–6 (five classes) cooking by early Term 2 in the first year of the grant. Term 1 was spent building our kitchen, expanding our garden, buying utensils, planning the lessons and recruiting and training volunteers. It took until early Term 4 for our garden to produce enough vegetables to be almost self-sufficient; we can now feed half the school every week.

We are a school of 220 students on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula and while all our classrooms are portable/relocatable, we have a permanent art room that was only used for half the week for art classes. The other half of the week it sat empty. We combined the kitchen with the art room and now the art room is used every day. We put three workstations along one wall, with three ovens, three sinks and three workbenches. A fourth workbench is on the other side of the room. We used a local cabinet maker to design and build our kitchen. He was also a parent at the school and kept the costs as low as possible.

The art room already had gas, water and space that had previously been used for storage. The garden was expanded to include more garden beds, a water tank, a seating area, a greenhouse and more.

Every class spends a 45-minute session in the garden with their class teacher and the Garden Specialist (also the school gardener) and volunteers each week. The Garden Specialist sets out the tasks for the class for the session. It is not time release for the class teacher.

Every class also spends a 90-minute session in the kitchen with their class teacher and the kitchen teacher and volunteers. We selected a teacher who is a home cook for the position of Kitchen Specialist, rather than a chef, but many other schools have made different decisions in this area. This session is not time release for the class teacher either. Teachers can then follow up garden or kitchen topics back in their classroom.

In the first year we spent a little more than we had budgeted for. The class materials (dry goods and ingredients) were costly to start with, but by October we were harvesting most of the ingredients from the garden and our dry goods were bought in bulk, so our costs were reduced.

Many of the costs were ‘one-off’ costs, such as the building of the kitchen and establishment of the garden.

We found that the Kitchen Garden Cooking with Kids book is full of great ideas, plans and recipes. It is essential reading.

The benefits from the Program have been many and varied and in areas we had not considered. Polite dinner-table conversations are had on a regular basis at the end of the meal and students are becoming more adventurous in their tastes. They understand the garden-to-table cycle and will discuss companion planting and the benefits of compost with visitors. Many students have started vegetable gardens at home and cook on a regular basis at home for their families. Many wonderful relationships have been built between volunteers and the students they work with each week. Social skills are improving, and life skills are growing along with the garden. The students are a delight to watch cook, even with very sharp knives, and are fully engaged in the Program each week. In a crowded curriculum, this Program is a winner and I would recommend it to all primary schools.

As with all good programs, the success of the Kitchen Garden Program lies in the relationships that develop: relationships between the Kitchen Specialist and the Garden Specialist, the SAKGF representative and the school, the kitchen/garden specialists and the classroom teachers, the kitchen/garden specialists and the volunteers, and most importantly every adult and each student who is part of the Program.


Words of advice for other schools?

In the garden:

• Keep the garden plan simple.

• Use recycled materials as much as possible.

• Ask everywhere for donations of plants and materials.

• Put the chooks and compost bins in the same area to keep the smell in one place.

• Recycle old school tables into potting tables.

• Use an old whiteboard to put up the gardening plan for the group.

• Invest in gloves, gumboots and good-quality garden tools.

• Have the students build scarecrows and sculptures for the garden.

In the kitchen:

• Invest in a commercial dishwasher; it saves time on washing up and allows more time for students to enjoy the food and talk about their cooking.

• Put the menu and recipes in the newsletter the week before and ask for donations of the ingredients; this helps reduce your shopping bill.

• Give the menu and recipes to the volunteers the week before so that they are familiar with the recipes on the day.

• Give the menu and recipes to the students the week before so that they can read the recipes and be prepared.

• Design a flyer promoting the Program in your school and take a day to put the flyer up everywhere in your area: libraries, health food stores, restaurants, churches, recreational centres, TAFE and other local organisations. You will be amazed at how many new volunteers you get, from outside of your usual school community. Put a contact name and number on the flyer that can be torn off and taken away. Not everyone carries a pen.

• Give all volunteers a package of information when they come for a tour and remember to take the time to debrief with them after a session. Let them just sit in and watch a session to start with.

• Forge links with a local restaurant if possible.


APPENDIX B

[School Letterhead/Logo]

[Supplier Name & Address]

Dear [Supplier Name]

The staff, students and school community of [School Name] are currently preparing a grant application for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Program.

The aim of the Kitchen Garden Program is to pleasurably engage and educate young children in growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing delicious and healthy food. It is based on the belief that these skills and understandings are essential to the development of life-long joyful and healthy eating habits. Melbourne chef and food writer Stephanie Alexander established the Kitchen Garden Foundation in 2004 to help give as many young children access to the Program as possible.

The application process is rigorous and requires expressions of support from our business community and local champions. Successful implementation of a Kitchen Garden Program requires many supporters and sponsors to help build the garden and kitchen, employ specialist staff and bring the benefits of the Program to our students. We are contacting you to ask for your help!

The Program takes an innovative approach to pleasurable food education and is growing in all States and Territories across the country. If our grant application is successful, we will be able to provide [number] children across Years [years] with access to an extensive vegetable garden which they have helped design, build and maintain on the school grounds. They will spend [time period] learning about plants, seed saving, water management, compost and soil health and they will also learn about the seasons, plant varieties, stages of growth and the connection between care in the garden and flavour on the plate. They will then spend [time period] each week in a purpose-built kitchen preparing and sharing a variety of meals created from their produce.

If you are willing and able to support this wonderful initiative at [School Name] please reply with your letter of support, detailing the goods, services and/or skills you are able to supply.

[Detail required goods, services and skills here.]

For more information about the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation please go to www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au.

We will follow this letter up shortly with a phone call to discuss your potential support of our application.

We look forward to working with you to bring the fruits of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program to [School Name].

Yours sincerely

[Principal or school representative]

Documents

SAKGF Queensland Program Application Guide OUR... · 2011. 7. 22. · Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Queensland Program Application Guide 2011 Program Grants are open to all Queensland