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Children and young people are more likely to achieve their learning potential when they have access to adequate and healthy food. Food secure school and preschool communities help children and young people to:
- learn about consistently healthy and safe food and drink options
- improve their physical health and additional social, cultural and emotional wellbeing.
We provide funding to enable eligible schools and preschool to develop initiatives to address food security.
How to apply for funding
Applications for 2024 are now closed. We'll let schools and preschools know the results by the end of term 1, 2024.
Food security grants for sustainable healthy food projects between $1000 and $5000 are available to all South Australian government schools and preschools.
Key activities for your project should focus on helping your school or preschool community to learn about:
- growing food
- accessing food
- preparing food.
Examples of food secure projects
Consider projects that focus on learning about:
Growing food
- local food growing and sharing networks
- community gardens to grow and prepare fresh, seasonal locally sourced fruit and vegetables and develop social connection
- connecting food or growing food to culture, society and the environment.
- staff or community training about edible gardens.
Accessing food
- access to learning resources about growing and preparing healthy, low cost meals
- create pop-up food carts or food swap events
- access to safe food storage, refrigeration and preparation areas running student or school community workshops to co-design a food or garden related project
- staff or community training about healthy eating, food sustainability, food waste and food budgeting.
Preparing food
- cooking or gardening groups or classes using your garden or kitchen facilities
- a student entrepreneur project to grow ideas and create food or garden related business
- staff or community training about healthy eating, or developing food preparation and cooking skills.
Who can apply
The Food Security Grant is available to all government preschools and schools with priority consideration to category 1 to 4 sites.
Applications can be made by:
- school or preschool staff
- governing councils or associated committees
- canteen staff.
Governing councils, committees and canteen staff will need to work with their school or preschool to submit an application.
A government school principal or preschool director must support the application.
Each school or preschool can only apply once.
How we will assess your application
Your application should clearly outline how it:
- connects to learning about growing, accessing and preparing healthy food
- meets the needs of your school or preschool community
- will be sustainable.
A panel will assess your application. They will look at how you plan to deliver on one or more of the assessment criteria.
