General News
19 June, 2023
Students set to benefit from MEC’s new wellbeing garden
A new, multi-purpose garden will be built at the Maryborough Education Centre — helping to usher in the next generation of green thumbs thanks to the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants program. The school received around $500 through the program...
A new, multi-purpose garden will be built at the Maryborough Education Centre — helping to usher in the next generation of green thumbs thanks to the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants program.
The school received around $500 through the program, which aims to build and develop hands-on environmental learning projects.
Maryborough Education Centre student wellbeing officer Coby Polinelli said the funding would create a wellbeing space, while also teaching healthy eating habits.
“We are aiming to turn an unused area in our specialist setting into a multipurpose garden,” he said.
“The garden will be used as a wellbeing space and allow kids to reengage with tasks to maintain the area. It will also be used to help teach our students the importance of healthy eating.
“Our students will get to see the produce lifecycle from seeds being planted, to produce being harvested and used as ingredients to be cooked in the delicious free meals that we offer all students at each break time.”
Woolworths Maryborough store manager Tony Byrne said funding would encourage young people to get outdoors and be hands-on in the garden.
“Bringing the classroom to the great outdoors and encouraging kids to get hands-on with nature is always something we’re excited to see, and we hope the Maryborough Education Centre will have fun working on their new project,” he said.
Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish, said the grant program was an important one.
“For over 25 years Junior Landcare has recognised the vital role children and young people play in caring for the environment,” he said.
“Thanks to the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants, and the Woolworths-supported Junior Landcare Learning Centre, young people have an opportunity to experience hands-on learning with environmental education.”
