Young adults living with a disability and autism are turning fresh produce and homemade preserves into opportunity through Pathways to Plate, a new initiative launched this week by STEPS.
Students at STEPS Pathways College learn to plant, harvest, prepare, serve and package food alongside industry-trained mentors. Their first offerings, including Strawberry Jam and a Ploughman's Pickles chutney, are now available at STEPS Café on George and STEPS Garden Centre in Caloundra.
Stephanie Patey, CEO of STEPS Social Business and Executive Principal of STEPS Pathways College, said the initiative showcases what's possible when education, enterprise and charity work hand in hand.
"Pathways to Plate gives STEPS Pathways College students a new way to see the tangible impact of their growth, from the garden to the kitchen to the community," Mrs Patey said.
"Our students are able to use skills learned in their Gardening, Cookery and Café Skills classes, along with other areas of the curriculum, to take part in every stage of the initiative. Every product is made with meaning and every purchase supports their transformative journey towards independence."
This initiative includes a line of take-home products, all made with seasonal ingredients grown at STEPS Garden Centre or sourced locally, available at STEPS Café on George and STEPS Garden Centre. Meals and drinks at STEPS Café on George are inspired by Pathways to Plate, celebrating the students' learning journeys.
Pathways to Plate links all four STEPS Social Business brands in a shared mission to create brighter futures for people living with a disability and autism, their loved ones and the wider community.
STEPS Pathways Charity reinvests profits from every take-home product into funding STEPS Pathways College, the first and only College of its kind for young adults with a disability and autism in Australia.
The Pathways to Plate initiative plans to expand its product range in the near future.
