GROW at School is a food education programme that aims to increase food literacy in primary schools. Through garden-based learning and hands-on growing experiences, we help students develop a deeper understanding of where healthy, sustainable food comes from. We call this food empathy.
GIY provide schools with food growing materials and curriculum-linked lesson plans that support school gardens, classroom growing, and learning the why behind GIY (Grow It Yourself). Put together, the programme aims to change knowledge, attitudes and behaviour around food.
We've teamed up with ChangeX so that you can access the knowledge and support you need to start a growing programme at your school and if there's an active fund in your area, you can apply for funding to purchase all you need to start an outdoor onsite classroom. You can also download innovative curriculum led teaching resources to complement the school's learning programme and ensure we have a generation of food literate and food conscious kids championing health and sustainability.
GROW at School is a food education programme that aims to increase food literacy in primary schools. Through garden-based learning and hands-on growing experiences, we help students develop a deeper understanding of where healthy, sustainable food comes from. We call this food empathy.
GIY provide schools with food growing materials and curriculum-linked lesson plans that support school gardens, classroom growing, and learning the why behind GIY (Grow It Yourself). Put together, the programme aims to change knowledge, attitudes and behaviour around food.
We've teamed up with ChangeX so that you can access the knowledge and support you need to start a growing programme at your school and if there's an active fund in your area, you can apply for funding to purchase all you need to start an outdoor onsite classroom. You can also download innovative curriculum led teaching resources to complement the school's learning programme and ensure we have a generation of food literate and food conscious kids championing health and sustainability.
We have made a school garden from raised beds. The children were involved in the committee and have taken a hands on approach to the initiative. We are starting by planting potatoes, herbs and summer flowering bulbs but over the coming months we are going to plant out our lettuce, beetroot, onions and carrots into our lovely new raised beds. We have also planted some beautiful lavander plants and Peoney Roses in the front bed of the school which gives the school a fresh new look!
We are so happy to have received the funds from Change X! It has made such a difference to our school community and we have now planted some potatoes, herbs and summer flowering bulbs in our new school garden. Students were involved from start to finish and it has been a great experience for all!
Last year in our school, we started a growing programme with the children in individual classes where we grew flowers and vegetables. This year we are hoping to expand the programme to all classes in the school. As a committee, we met to discuss the best way forward for our school as whole. We feel that the best way to proceed is to give every class group their own individual raised bed in which they can look after and manage through the different growing seasons of the year. There is considerable expense to create these raised beds and we feel that it would be a great investment for our children as it will give them access to outdoor education year round.
We have a team of passionate teachers assembled that can lead the project across the entire school. Additonal funding will be used for tools for the children to work with, seed money for some flowers and vegetables to purchase and perhaps funding to create a wild flower patch (depending on funding remaining) We know that we will make full use of this funding and also facilitate the children to help in the decision making process on how best they would like to spend the money. We have expertise from a local horticultarist who is very supportive of the project.
At all times, we followed government guidelines on Covid safety ensuring that social distancing was maintained, masks were used and that sanitiser was used before and after on shared surfaces.