FEAST, a new curriculum aligned education program from OzHarvest that inspires kids to eat healthy food, waste less and become change-makers in their local communities will be rolled out across Australia.
FEAST (Food Education and Sustainability Training) is designed for primary school students in Years 5 and 6. It runs for 7-10 weeks and addresses STEM and English curriculum outcomes and the cross-curriculum priority of Sustainability.
Available to all Australian primary schools, FEAST gets kids immersed in hands on cooking activities in the classroom using fully equipped kitchen kits that don’t require an actual kitchen.
OzHarvest Founder and CEO, Ronni Kahn AO and Chef and TV host Colin Fassnidge recently visited Bellevue Hill Primary School in Sydney to celebrate the national roll-out of FEAST.
Bellevue Hill Primary School is one of 42 schools in NSW that have run the program this year, reaching 2500 students across the state.
Mr Kahn AO said FEAST was developed after identifying a gap in the curriculum for a sustainability program that addressed food waste and healthy eating. “When it comes to fighting food waste, kids are the future change-makers and are extremely passionate about protecting the planet. Like any good FEAST, it’s designed to be fun, engaging and filled with good food. Ultimately, we hope it will help achieve our vision to build a world with zero food waste and free of hunger.”
OzHarvest Chef Ambassador Colin Fassnidge added, “As a chef and father of young kids, it’s vital to teach children the value of food and importance of not wasting it. FEAST is a fun way to learn about food waste, it inspires creativity as students invent their own recipes. It’s such a good way to get kids cooking and eating heathy food! It really is an essential ingredient for all schools.”
The culmination of the program is the ‘School Cookbook’ which brings to life everything the students have learnt about food waste and healthy eating. The program encourages students to influence their whole school community by hosting a Cookbook launch and sharing their knowledge on the topic.
Bellevue Hill Public School Principal, Mrs Bennett, said the Stage 3 students and teachers enjoyed the interactive experience of FEAST. “Our students had great fun learning about food waste, creating their own recipes and getting stuck into the hands-on cooking activities. Interaction is a great way to get results and FEAST is a fantastic example of this.”
OzHarvest offers a professional learning teacher training day or an online training module that is quick and easy to complete. Schools also receive online access to teacher and student toolkits, video and classroom resources, and ongoing support from the FEAST team.
Through the support of corporate and philanthropic organisations, financial support is also available to help eligible schools undertake the program. For more details or to register your school to run FEAST, please click here.
