OUR PROGRAMS
From comprehensive semester long high school programs to short ’how to’ courses for groups and individuals, we offer logical and enjoyable ways of learning, developed by professional teachers and horticulturalists .
“Growing food and giving it away is so simple we can easily overlook it.”
Program Overview
The program is designed to give students a realistic insight into the diverse members of their community suffering food insecurity. Our classes and activities integrate the concept of nurturing a garden with nurturing people resulting in a meaningful and enjoyable project.
The idea of ‘growing for giving’ creates a great motivation for students to engage in gardening and to succeed with their crops.
We offer a variety of facilitated and online programs designed to increase awareness around food insecurity as well solve it.
Our program provides the following:
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teaches the life skills of planting, maintaining and harvesting a productive crop
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explore the reality of hunger in our community and invite students to respond by growing food for donation
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provide an opportunity for students to work in genuine partnership with the community sector, to deliver a real product, and to value their contribution, and
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integrate learning about health, environment and community.
Learning Opportunities & Curriculum
Our high school and primary school programs are designed to link in well with the Australian education curriculum. We provide teachers with direct links to curriculum helping to integrate what we teach with outcomes teachers are looking for from students.
Science, Health and Sustainability
Productive gardens are a great way to learn about climate, soil, plant growth, nutrient cycles, decomposition, pollination, biodiversity, nutrition, seasonal produce, food miles and local food systems.
Geography
A practical opportunity to address one of the 5 Aims of Victoria’s new geography curriculum: for students to be ‘informed and active citizens who can contribute to the development of a world that is environmentally and economically sustainable, and socially just’.
VCAL
With a strong focus on community, team work and delivering a real product, this project very practical program suits all levels of VCAL. (see curriculum links introduction here)
RE / Faith and Ethics / Service
The act of giving and connecting with others is a simple and meaningful expression of classroom-based discussion and theory.
Food Tech
At the heart of food preparation is sourcing fresh and healthy produce. Engaging Food Tech students in food production adds a meaningful and rewarding exstension to their subject content.
Kitchen Garden
The project ties in nicely with primary school kitchen garden classes and can run alongside these types of classes as a community engagement project
Positive Education / Wellbeing / Service
Empowering young people to practically engage in changing the world for the better. The personal benefits of giving and sharing, although often overlooked by students, is immensely beneifical on their self esteem and beliefs in their future.
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Teaches students how to grow their own food
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Trusts and empowers students to deliver something of value
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Provides an opportunity for students to be a part of something bigger than themselves
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Connects with real life, real issues and real solutions
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Encourages pro-social behaviour
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Creates teams and belonging
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Builds relationships and confidence
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Fosters empathy and generosity
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Gets kids out of the classroom and working with their hands, and
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Requires commitment and effort
High Schools
The Food Security Network education program can be delivered as an online teacher driven project or as fully facilitated weekly or fortnightly program over a term or semester. Our facilitated sessions are 60 to 90 minutes long and feature a comprehensive insight into social justice married with a hands on introduction to growing organic food. Qualified teachers, horticulturalists and community developers deliver all classes.
Cost for fully facilitated programs is $2200.00 plus $25 per square mtr for materials (seedlings, manures, composts, nets, garden tools, gloves). The average cost for a high school facilitated term/semester based program is $2500.00, including materials;
Cost: $2,200
(starting fee)
Primary Schools
Our primary schools program offers a facilitated introduction to food insecurity and food production with site visits throughout the term/semester to support the teacher and students in maintaining and harvesting their crop. The average cost to a primary school for our basic program is $600-$900 depending on the amount of classes and grade levels.
Cost: $600-$900
VCAL
We offer VCAL classes a tailored program that provides a practical hands on experience while engaging students directly in community action and social justice. We encourage VCAL students to design, plan and construct their own garden beds for the program. We provide expert support in helping students achieve these outcomes. All tools are supplied.
To support VCAL teachers we have created detailed links to the curriculum. (see introduction here). Our programs tasks, skills, activities and research lend themselves to many VCAL curriculum outcomes allowing teachers to use our classes as part of their assessment.
Cost: $2,200
(starting fee)
Online Programs/PD Days
Our online programs allow rural based schools to partake in the program with in-house teacher supervised delivery of our program material. We provide online support to teachers and students through ought the project including harvest and delivery support.
To support teachers wishing to deliver the program themselves we offer Professional Development days in Victoria and NSW.
The PD day includes practical skill sessions on creating food security gardens, social justice teaching strategies and support in linking to curriculum.
Cost: $500
(starting fee)
Gardening made easy
This project has been designed to suit high school and primary students with content that can be aligned with particular year level curriculums and subject requirements. High school students are given a meaningful and sometimes confronting insight into poverty, homelessness and food insecurity.
Students participate in activities that challenge their understanding of poverty and are asked to research local issues related to food insecurity.
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We provide the materials and expertise you need to grow a crop, and support and coordinate the efforts of those involved
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Cropping is contained within the project period so there’s no summer holiday waterin
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Cooking and dining facilities are not required as this garden project is entirely focused on the needs of others
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Students will learn the skills they need to grow healthy food crops at home.