Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation seeks fundraising support 

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation is running a national fundraiser designed to generate awareness about the critical need to educate all Australian children about where their food comes from and how to live healthy, resilient and happy lives.

The Food Education Drive (FED) aims to support the work of the Foundation, with CEO Dr Cathy Wilkinson saying that demand from communities across the country has never been higher. 

“Two decades on, the unmet demand from communities across Australia has never been higher and the potential for real and immediate impact never stronger,” she said.

The not-for-profit Foundation does not receive Federal Government funding, instead relying on individual donors, philanthropic organisations and corporate partners to expand its impact.

With one in four Australian children classified as obese, and with the nations children currently on track to live shorter lives than their parents, Dr Wilkinson shared, the work of the Foundation has never been more needed, as dedicated professionals seek to help children to learn the importance of ‘real food’ and how to make healthy lifestyle choices. 

“Food education isn’t just cooking and gardening. It prepares a child for life, teaching them resilience, celebrating diversity and connecting communities,” she said.

“We can remedy external influences — like limiting junk food advertising to children or raising the sugar tax — but at the end of the day, children still need practical cooking skills and experiences in the garden to understand where fresh food comes from, how to grow affordable produce and nourish their health through the preparation of nutritious, delicious meals.”

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation was established in 2004 by Stephanie Alexander AO – Australian cook and food writer – to support children and young people to receive positive, preventative health education through engaging, culturally inclusive kitchen and garden classes.

The Foundation’s approach to food education inspires children and young people to understand and connect with fresh, delicious food through fun, hands-on learning, and through its Kitchen Garden program equips communities and educators with support and curriculum aligned resources to run food education that empowers children and young people to develop practical skills, an appreciation of seasonal produce, and a positive, confident and healthy relationship with food — for life.

In 2024, more than 1400 schools and early learning services submitted grant applications to join the Kitchen Garden Program. This unmet demand means, right now, roughly 274,000 children are standing by to receive food education.

To support the campaign please see here. For more information about the work of the Foundation see here.