Life Ed, and its iconic mascot Healthy Harold the giraffe, has teamed up with Bakers Delight’s Healthy Solutions range to give primary schools, preschools and early learning centres across Australia a chance to secure a share of $25,000 in school garden grants.
As part of the new Growing Good Grains Grants (GGGG) program, which launched Monday 3 June, schools are invited to apply online by sharing their vision for their school food garden for a chance to win one of 25 grants, valued at $1,000 each.
Schools will also be provided with free resources to boost their applications and to empower students to learn more about the origins of food as they plan their garden with their school community.
Schools will have more chance to win with applications categorised by school type and size. The first 50 submissions will also receive a $100 Bakers Delight e gift card.
“With one in five students unaware that bacon is an animal product and 30 per cent of students confused about where yoghurt comes from^ (according to the ^Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia’s Food, Fibre and Our Future 2020 Report), we wanted to use this opportunity to encourage fresh thinking to sprout healthy habits – in and beyond the classroom,” says Russell D’Costa, CEO at Life Ed Australia.
Harnessing children’s curiosity
Life Ed is Australia’s largest independent provider of preventive health education to school children and has utilised its iconic mascot Healthy Harold the giraffe to help empower children and young people to make safer and healthier choices for more than 40 years.
Mr D’Costa says “we pride ourselves on taking the complex issues and turning them into exciting experiences which harness the imaginative and curious nature of children”.
“The GGGG program is a good example of this. It is designed to take learning beyond the classroom. By immersing children in the gardening experience, over time, they will reap the benefits of learning about the importance of nutrition, physical activity, building positive relationships and teamwork.”
“This holistic approach to changing long-term attitudes towards food is powerful. The impact of Life Ed’s popular nutrition-based modules in early childhood centres and primary schools across Australia is evidence of this.”
Free online learning resources
Throughout the four-week campaign – from 3 to 29 June – schools will be able to access free online resources to assist with their submissions and to create unique learning experiences in the classroom.
From taking a journey through the life cycle of bread, through to growing their own wheat and making their own fresh dough, the variety of hands-on activities and easy lesson plans can be tailored according to class needs.
He told EducationDaily that “it’s common for children to get confused about where food comes from”, adding “it’s because they’re learning”.
“That’s why we’ve joined forces with Bakers Delight’s Healthy Solutions range through Growing Good Grains Grants to encourage kids to ask more questions about their food. Because asking questions is healthy. That’s how children grow in confidence and critical thinking skills to make healthier choices into their future.”
“We have been partnering with schools to deliver preventative health education for 45 years now, and what continues to be clear is the importance of memorable, immersive experiences to embed learning. It’s because children learn by doing and that is what GGGG is all about – encouraging kids to dig into the facts as they work together to create a healthy food garden that their whole school community can benefit from.”
