Funding the future – why it makes sense
We all know that outdoor play has multiple benefits for children, but what about outdoor learning? Research has shown that “nature ignites passion, inspiration, creativity and purpose, and it also plays an important role in the cognitive, emotional and physical development of children*.”
Landcare Australia launched Junior Landcare in 1998 to help young people develop a sense of responsibility to our natural environment through outdoor learning. This type of learning is hands-on and uses the natural environment to develop and learn new skills across a number of subjects, especially since its introduction to the Australian Curriculum in 2015.
Today, thousands of schools and childcare centres have a Junior Landcare funded garden thanks to grants programs delivered through partnerships with businesses such as Coles, Yates Australia, Momentum Energy, Toshiba and Australia Post.
Aside from engaging and inspiring tens of thousands of students since its inception, Junior Landcare has been part of many successful strategic partnerships and provided multiple benefits for the businesses that have been part of the journey.
Impact
One of the many benefits of a Junior Landcare funded program is the immense impact it can have because of the nature of the projects it supports. A single $1,000 or $1,500 garden project has the potential to meaningfully engage more than 100 students. The 25 projects recently funded through the Yates Junior Landcare Grants for Gardens program will engage 3,000 students.
Awareness
A Junior Landcare partnership thrives when the program is tailored to a business’s area of operation or focus. This not only creates meaningful engagement with local communities and supports schools but can increase brand awareness and enhance brand perception. This year’s Powerful Youth Projects grants program, funded by Momentum Energy, provided grants to 245 Junior Landcare projects in Victoria. Throughout the campaign period, close to 120,000 people across Victoria read about the program. 245 Victorian schools and 24,222 students are now engaged in a Momentum Energy funded projects, and some Momentum Energy employees have even volunteered their time to help with various projects.
Results
To build a successful and enduring partnership in any area, the needs of all parties need to be met. With consistent demand for Junior Landcare funding in the market, a program that provides a consistent source of funding for the kind of projects schools want to run will attract enhanced engagement and achieve results. The Coles Junior Landcare Garden Grants ran from 2007 to 2015. 85 applications were received for the $1,000 grants during the first year of the program, growing to 1,732 applications in the final year. School communities nationally were not only aware of the program, but engaged with it and valued it, resulting in more than 2,000 school gardens built nationally through its eight years.
As it nears its 30th anniversary, Junior Landcare will continue to engage in strategic partnerships and support an engaged and passionate audience through outdoor learning to create a skilled, passionate and resilient next generation of Landcarers.
If you would like to know more about how your business can get involved in Junior Landcare, please contact 02 9412 1040 or [email protected]
*Learning from Trees by Planet Ark 2017
