Another Year of Growth and Goodness For Local High Schools

Another Year of Growth and Goodness For Local High School Students

More gardens, growth and goodness will become a part of the school-day for Tangaroa College and Papatoetoe High School students as the Nestlé Community Environment Program (NCEP), now in its 10th year, launches this month.

Building on past projects funded by the NCEP grant, this year students will develop their knowledge of nutrition, wellbeing and environmental awareness as they cultivate existing school gardens, while also learning how to harvest and cook over the coming months.

Since its launch in 2003, NCEP has invested over $200,000 in improving the local environment surrounding Nestlé’s Cambria Park site in South Auckland, one of two manufacturing sites in New Zealand.

And on June 26th the 2013 programme will be officially launched with visits to the schools by the Cambria Park Senior Leadership Team.

“Teaching students about healthy eating and allowing them to see the process from seed to supper is all part of the holistic program that aims to give year 9 – 13 students valuable life skills,” says Nestlé New Zealand Manager of Corporate Services, Maurice Gunnell.

“This year the team who run Nestlé Cook for Life cooking programmes with youth in the same area will join the schools in teaching the children to cook the produce they’ve grown themselves.”

Spanning the seasons, students will take the winter gardens and orchards from planting to summer harvest, while also exercising their creativity through a tailored garden design.

But they won’t be doing it alone. In the on-going tradition of NCEP, members of the Nestlé team and the community will be involved in aspects of the programme over the coming months. Parents will join students for a healthy breakfast in October and even the police force will be getting in, boots and all, to help the students prepare the garden for harvest in November.

With a recipe book in the pipeline and a community soup day in August, the students have much to look forward to ahead of the final harvest next February. Building on the success of last year’s community Christmas markets at Tangaroa College, a combined event will take place this year to celebrate the summer harvest.

ENDS

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