Stephanie Alexander Kitchen and Garden Program

There are four important pillars to this program –

Growing, Harvesting, Preparing and Sharing.

All primary and secondary classes are involved in the SAKGP.  In the garden the children put on their gloves and get dirty! They participate in a range of activities e.g. planting seeds, transferring seedlings into the garden, weeding, caring for the chickens, composting, snail hunting, harvesting and watering. They observe what grows in each season and when it can be harvested. At the end of the lesson children report on what they have done.

Classes attend a weekly kitchen class. The menus incorporate the seasonal produce grown in the garden. When the children arrive at the kitchen they wash hands, put on an apron and sit down at the front of the classroom ready to learn. Leeanne explains what is being cooked that day and the children, volunteers and staff are directed to a workstation. An easy to follow recipe is given to each group and they prepare a dish. All children are encouraged to work as independently as possible using appropriate equipment. On completion everyone sits down and enjoys sharing the prepared food. When eating is finished the children clear away. Students rotate through specific tasks such as rinsing dishes, stacking the dishwasher and putting on the washing.  Finally the students return to the front of the kitchen to find out who is chef of the week.