Support a school

Show your support

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Schools around the country need your help! You can get involved and show your support for pleasurable food education in many ways...

Volunteer at a school

Volunteers are vital to every Kitchen Garden School. They assist at all stages – from mucking in at working bees as the kitchens and gardens are built, to joining a school’s Kitchen Garden Committee or sourcing local sponsorships and media coverage.

Once the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is up and running, volunteers become the stars of the show, assisting specialist staff in the garden and kitchen classes, and working directly with the students.

Class volunteers work with small groups of four to five students within the garden or kitchen class. They help with the activities and encourage the students to participate. They act as role models for the participating students, and the experiences of the class are enriched by the volunteers who bring with them a diversity of ages, backgrounds and experiences.

Work at a school

All Kitchen Garden Schools must establish the staff roles of Garden Specialist and Kitchen Specialist to enable the planning and delivery of garden and kitchen classes. Specialists have the appropriate knowledge and skills to implement relevant activities for their classes. Many are non-qualified but passionate gardeners or cooks with an interest in working with children; others are qualified teachers, chefs or horticulturalists.

Specialist employment is managed by each individual school. If you are interested in becoming a Specialist, we recommend that you first do your homework – make sure you read more about the Kitchen Garden Program in general, and its staffing structure in particular. You may then decide to contact a Kitchen Garden School near you regarding potential employment opportunities.

For current vacancies please see Employment Opportunities at Kitchen Garden Schools.

Donate to a school

While Kitchen Garden Schools have received funding from the Australian Government, Queensland State Goverment or Victorian State Government towards the building of a kitchen and a garden, they are always in need of further assistance from the community and local businesses. Donations of labour, goods or financial support are all gratefully received and can make a real difference to a school.

Partner with a school

Kitchen Garden Schools benefit enormously from community and business partnerships. These partnerships may be purely financial or much more creative. They can involve anything from corporate volunteering, staff donations, pro-bono support, to the regular purchase of preserves by a nearby restaurant. We encourage all interested organisations to explore partnership potential with a local Kitchen Garden School.

Find a school near you and see where you can help.