A community project lead by a TAFE NSW Nowra student will take a local school’s vegetable garden to the next level.
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Monica Kincade is helping create a fundraising calendar featuring recipes from Nowra East Public School’s teachers as well as images from their students’ garden.
Money raised from calendar sales will go toward building an outdoor kitchen for the school.
The school community hopes the students will benefit from learning to cook using produce grown in their garden.
Ms Kincade is studying Certificate IV in Community Services at TAFE NSW Nowra, and it was through her work placement with the Australian Red Cross Nowra, that she helped bring the calendar from concept to reality.
The calendar was initiated by the Shoalhaven Anti-Poverty Committee.
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Red Cross Nowra supports the committee and offered Ms Kincade the opportunity add to her experience and play an integral role in the project.
Her involvement has meant working with other stakeholders in the project including the school, the Shoalhaven Anti-Poverty Committee and Shoalhaven Neighbourhood Services.
“The practical experience of working with the different organisations involved in this project has given me an opportunity to use my communication skills, and to see what real policy and projects are like on the ground,” she said.
“I like how TAFE NSW provides students with real-world experience. It has given me a taste of the challenges of working with multiple stakeholders, and a chance to work with people to overcome those challenges.
“I feel job-ready, but my practical work experience also gave me a chance to network with other people, so hopefully when I graduate, looking for a job will be easier because I will know people in the industry.”
Nowra East Public School Principal, Kristie Goldthorp, was proud of the school’s produce garden, and the positive impact it had on the students and the school community.
“It’s lovely to see a great hive of activity in the garden each week,” Ms Goldthorp said.
“The students are really engaged with it and it’s very calming for them. It’s a happy space to be in.
“We love that community organisations are involved with our garden too. When we have special events, such as Harmony Week, our gift to visitors is often a box of lovely, fresh produce from our garden.
“Our students are very proud of that.”
The calendar will be launched at Nowra’s Prosperity in the Park event on October 9 and will also be available for purchase at the school for $10.
For more information about Community Services courses at TAFE NSW visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.