Impact & Reach
Impact
The impact of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is enormous. Over one million children, their families and broader communities have benefitted since the Foundation’s establishment. Schools across Australia deliver over 3 million kitchen garden program experiences for students each year. Read more in our 2023 Impact Report.
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation: Impact Report 2023
Evaluations
University of Melbourne, 2019, What’s Cooking? Evaluation of the long‐term impacts of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
An evaluation of the longer‐term influence of the Kitchen Garden Program by comparing the cooking, eating and gardening attitudes and behaviours of young adults who had participated in the program in primary school with those who had not undertaken the program.
View complete evaluation of long-term impact
University of Wollongong, 2013, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Program Evaluation: Final Report.
An evaluation of the process, impact and outcomes of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden National Program, rolled out to 190 government primary schools across Australia in 2008.
View complete national evaluation report
McCaughey VicHealth Centre for Community Wellbeing, University of Melbourne and Deakin University, 2009, Evaluation of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
A mixed-methods longitudinal evaluation of the Kitchen Garden Program in collaboration with the Kitchen Garden Foundation as well as twelve participating primary schools throughout Victoria over two and a half years.
View complete state evaluation report
Our evidence-based approach
The Kitchen Garden Program supports many of the global principles for sustainable and healthy living from the United Nations (UN) and the World Health Organization (WHO). These include the WHO’s Health Promoting Schools approach and at least six of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Reach
The Kitchen Garden Program is affordable, accessible and culturally relevant for all schools and services, including those that are remote, regional, urban, linguistically diverse, Aboriginal-led, small and large.
View the map to find schools and services delivering pleasurable food education
We are continuously growing and will not be satisfied until every child and young person in Australia can experience the Kitchen Garden Program.
In 2020, we expanded the Kitchen Garden Program beyond the primary school setting and now offer a continuum of pleasurable food education. In February 2020, the Foundation launched the Kitchen Garden Program for Early Childhood. This program is the first of its kind for preschool-aged children in Australia. More information on the three-year early childhood pilot and the Foundation’s work in the sector can be found in this infographic summary.
In November 2020, the Foundation launched the Kitchen Garden Program for Secondary Years, a groundbreaking, curriculum-integrated food education initiative, based on demand from the kitchen garden community. See our evaluation summary of the three-year secondary years pilot project in this infographic summary.
Would you like to support our work? There are so many ways you can help ensure Australian children and young people form positive food habits for life.
The Multicultural Framework Review submission
In October 2023, we welcomed the opportunity to provide a submission to the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs' Multicultural Framework Review in which we discuss how the Kitchen Garden Program fosters inclusivity and community connection in support of maintaining a strong social fabric.
NSW Arts Culture Creative Industries policy submission
In September 2023, we welcomed the opportunity to provide a response to the NSW Arts Culture Creative Industries policy, outlining the Kitchen Garden Program's alignment with Revive, the National Cultural Policy.
Inquiry into Diabetes
In August 2023, we welcomed the opportunity to provide a response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport Inquiry into Diabetes
National School Reform Agreement
In August 2023, we welcomed the opportunity to provide a response to the Interim Report of the Productivity Commission’s Review into the National School Reform Agreement.
School refusal submission
In April 2023 we made a submission to the Senate Education and Employment References Committee Inquiry about school refusal.
Although the challenge of school refusal is not new, in the wake of natural disasters and the COVID-19 health crisis, supporting the wellbeing of children, their educators, families and communities has never been more important - we believe the Kitchen Garden Program does this in spades.
Federal Budget pre-budget submission
In February 2023, the Foundation’s Federal Budget pre-budget submission called on the Australian Government to prioritise investment in the health and wellbeing of Australia’s children and young people through pleasurable food education in schools and early childhood services via the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. The Foundation applauds the Australian Government’s investment in preventative health and stands ready, willing and able to operationalise these objectives, given adequate resourcing.
Read the Foundation's pre-budget submission
Video credit: Building Healthy People showcases the impact of kitchen garden programs on schools and communities. It was created in 2021 by Masters of Dietetics students from Monash University, hosted by the Foundation for a seven-week work placement. Read more about the placement here.