Cooking up hope for hungry kids

Over the next four months, more than 150 hospitality and cookery students will serve up a range of tasty fundraising dish, from $11 lunches Green Fields Bar and Restaurant to $1 cookie and coffee deals and $5 soup sales, all raising funds for UNICEF Australia's vital work.

This initiative is about much more than fundraising. It’s an immersive, hands-on learning experience where students develop real-world culinary skills while gaining a deeper understanding of food’s role in health, community, and global equity.

Ben Stewart, Education Delivery Manager and chef at TAFE Queensland, sees this program as deeply meaningful, not just for what’s created in the kitchen, but for the awareness it stirs beyond it.

“Cooking and teaching is always impactful for me,” Ben said.

“But the UNICEF program allows the food we produce to start some genuine conversations and awareness of what some societies face. Having awareness pushes us toward raising the bar for a better future for all.”

Students involved in #CookForKids don’t just learn how to cook, they learn why their skills matter.

“Food is the vehicle for support, community and understanding,” he said.

“It’s the one thing we all have in common the world over.”

As the country’s first sustainable VET campus, TAFE Queensland Robina takes pride in championing community engagement and social responsibility. Students are empowered not only to master their craft, but to use it to make a difference.

Ben said students gain the kind of meaningful, transferable experience that will shape their professional journeys.

“They leave class picking up the skills and knowledge of how to engage in a meaningful cause that can be replicated in their workplaces or businesses into the future,” he said.

General Manager of TAFE Queensland Gold Coast, Karen Dickinson, said the Robina campus embodies community engagement and quality education.

“We encourage the public to visit our Robina campus and support the #CookForKids initiative. With facilities like our gym, café, restaurant, beauty salon, hairdressing services, the campus serves as a community hub that welcomes everyone,” she said.

“This initiative highlights our commitment to combining practical learning with meaningful community impact, providing students with valuable hands-on experience while contributing to a greater cause.”

By participating in this initiative, TAFE Queensland and its students are proudly supporting UNICEF Australia's vital mission to end hunger, promote health, and reduce inequality worldwide.