More than 600 kindergarten children across the shire are set to benefit from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF) Program.
Colac Otway Shire Council, through its VicHealth partnership, is supporting the 13 kindergartens with a two-year membership to the program.
The initiative will see children across the shire engage in hands-on learning experiences that promote healthy eating, sustainability, and community connection through growing, harvesting, preparing, and sharing fresh food.
By participating in the Kitchen Garden Program, educators will be supported with tailored resources including access to over 1200 recipes and activities, as well as professional development to embed food education into their curriculum in a fun and age-appropriate way.
Colac Otway Shire Council's Community Service Manager, Ashish Sitoula said he's delighted to see such a strong uptake from kindergartens across the shire, which reflects their commitment to nurturing lifelong healthy habits from the earliest years.
"Currently only 3.9% of adults in our shire eat the recommended daily serving of fruit and vegetables. Our community also faces considerable challenges with obesity, dental health and food insecurity, so teaching children and their families about the benefits of growing and eating fresh seasonable produce has never been more important."
"We understand that creating healthy eating habits for life starts early, which is why Council through our partnership with VicHealth, was so enthusiastic about offering all kindergartens in the shire this two-year Kitchen Garden Program membership," Mr Sitoula said.
Michelle Muraca, Manager Kindergarten Educational Outcomes at Meli shared how thrilled she was to see the Colac Otway Shire Council embracing the initiative.
"We're delighted to be introducing the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program across our Meli kindergartens in Colac. It's an exciting addition to our curriculum, offering children hands-on opportunities to grow, cook and share fresh food in a collaborative environment. These experiences build lasting skills that will stay with them well beyond their early years."
The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation has been empowering children across Australia since 2004, and its expansion into early childhood settings is helping to build a healthier future from the ground up.
The Foundation's Chief Executive Officer, Rob Rees, said, "We're thrilled to see even more children gaining access to the health, wellbeing, and learning benefits of the Kitchen Garden Program — made possible through the inspiring leadership of Colac Otway Shire.
"Our play-based early childhood membership is thoughtfully designed to support the sector, aligning with the Australian Children's Education & Care Quality Authority, the National Quality Standard, and connecting the joy of food education with the outcomes of the Early Years Learning Framework," Mr Rees said.
"A heartfelt thank you to our incredible partners, both locally and across the state, and to the dedicated educators who bring this vision to life every day. Your commitment is what makes this movement thrive. We warmly invite more community leaders, families, and youth organisations to be part of this growing momentum!"
