Multicultural School Gardens

Multicultural School Gardens combines community volunteering, multicultural understanding, gardening and cooking into a unique and enriching whole school environmental education project.

The Multicultural School Gardens project has been funded by the Victorian Government (through the Community Support Fund) and the Department of Education and Training to deliver to forty Victorian schools until the end of 2008.

The Department of Education and Training assists Gould Group in recommending Victorian schools that are within the guidelines of the project criteria.  We are pleased to advise that there are now twenty three schools who have established a garden infrastructure and an ongoing school community project since the project's conception. 

The Western Bulldogs partnership in this program has generated positive and long-term outcomes for the community and more particularly in communities of new arrivals to the country. The messages of healthy food and fitness compliment through the involvement of the club and their players as role models are a valuable part of the partnership.

Participating Schools ... About the Project ... Newsletter ... Getting Involved ... Awards

Participating Schools

Congratulations to our 2008 schools

*We would like to thank the McLeod Family Foundation for kindly sponsoring Werribee Primary School and allowing them to participate in the project in 2008.

Take a look at some of the gardens so far ...

Our 2007 schools

Congratulations to our 2006 and 2007 schools for their great work
Six schools participated in 2006; 17 schools participated in 2007. They all created wonderful gardens to share with their communities as our gallery of before and after photos demonstrates.

See the great results our schools achieved in 2006 ...

See the great results our schools achieved in 2007 ...

About the Multicultural School Gardens Project

Students work with their gardening buddies to create multicultural food gardens, growing fruit, vegetables and herbs from across the world. Together they cook traditional dishes using the produce from their multicultural gardens and share stories and information about different cultures. In turn, students mentor their buddies in English language development helping them to connect with others.

What the Multicultural School Gardens Project is about

• Celebrating cultural diversity and demonstrating the benefits of multiculturalism
• Creating multicultural garden and cooking projects within the school
• Helping to develop strong local communities and school communities
• Fostering healthy eating habits

What the Multicultural School Garden project provides

• Creative, flexible and enjoyable learning opportunities linked to the curriculum
• Long term benefits for student health and well-being
• Real-life, practical learning experiences for students
• Regular gardening and cooking activities throughout the school year
• A physical asset in the school grounds
• Tools to assist with gardening and community links
• A context for celebrating the diverse and significant contributions of various cultures to multicultural Australia

Our Valued Project Partners

• Western Bulldogs Football Club – working with schools, recruitment assistance and project support. Read more about the 2008 MSG workshop
• Conservation Volunteers Australia – Better Earth Team volunteers assist with the field work at the schools and provide In Safe Hands volunteer training.
• Department of Education and Training – advising on participating schools
• Victorian Multicultural Commission and Australian Multicultural Foundation - assisting with recruiting ethnic volunteers
• Scotsburn Nurseries - supplying schools with vegetable seedlings
• eWood - supplying schools with materials to build their garden beds
• Bunnings Warehouse -supplying our schools with tools for their gardens

Multicultural School Gardens Newsletter

Download current newsletter - May 2008 (pdf, 3.80MB). If you would like to receive the Multicultural School Gardens quarterly newsletter, please email us at schoolgardens@gould.org.au

Getting Involved in Multicultural School Gardens

Schools - buy in to the project

Forty schools have been invited to participate in the funded project but individual schools or school clusters and their sponsor partners are invited to contact Gould Group about paid involvement in the Multicultural School Gardens project.

If your school has not been invited to participate but are interested in buying in to the project please download information sheet and download application form contact Jodie Robison on (03) 95320909 or email schoolgardens@gould.org.au

Volunteer involvement

As a gardening volunteer, you will be part of this exciting project to help set the garden up and then, along with the students, create a multicultural garden, growing fruit, vegetables and herbs from the many cultures in our community.

You will then continue to be involved as the garden weaves its magic throughout the school and help celebrate the harvest with students by cooking your school-grown produce into traditional dishes and sharing cultural stories and experiences.

Check the list of 2008 participating schools information session times.  2008 information session. Please be aware that you will need a Working with Children Check which is free for volunteers. Forms are avaliable at your local post office.

For further information, please contact Jodie Robison at Gould Group on (03) 9532 0909 or email schoolgardens@gould.org.au

Sponsors and Partners

We invite inquiries from potential sponsors and partners to extend the project Australia-wide.

For further information, please contact Jodie Robison at Gould Group on (03) 9532 0909 or email schoolgardens@gould.org.au

An Award-Winning Project

• Finalist 2008 Sustainability Victoria's Premier Award
• Winner 2006 National Multicultural Marketing Awards- Integral Energy Community Award
• Winner 2005 Victorian Award for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs (Education) for project pilot at Sunshine North Primary school.