Through our Edible Schoolyards Programs we can help your school create a vibrant, hands-on learning space with countless opportunities for teaching health, fitness, science, life skills and many key learning areas. Students will gain an understanding and appreciation for the origins of food and enjoy mental and physical stimulation beyond the classroom.
An Edible Schoolyards Program focuses on building and maintaining shared vegetable, herb and fruit gardens for students, teachers and families.
Edible Schoolyards can be a great place for students to work outdoors and learn about the holistic approach to gardening. The program is more than growing fruit and vegetables but rather a system that cares for the earth and its people whilst establishing environments that are highly productive and harmonious. Creating an edible schoolyard is a way of learning to live sustainably.
An Edible Schoolyard garden is not only an outdoor learning tool. The produce grown can be used in the school kitchens and canteen to benefit students in more ways than one. Students are presented with the opportunity to not only grow fresh produce but learn to cook with it as well. Our program can easily be included into your school’s curriculum by addressing the key learning areas and linking the curriculum with engaging, relevant and authentic activities. This will help to prepare students to take their place in the wider community. The project design will consider the school’s resources, time allocations and class sizes.
We use the book “Outdoor Classrooms” by Carolyn Nuttall and Janet Millington. For schools who are interested, we recommend you read this book first, it’s full of inspiring ideas, FAQs and curriculum examples. We have copies of this book available to purchase via our website.
The process:
Refer to our ESP Flowchart for a visual depiction of the process.
1. Expression of Interest Form:
Once your school has completed the Expression of Interest Form via our website we will contact you to arrange an initial meeting with teachers, parents and P&C committee.
2. Presentation and Visioning Meeting:
At this meeting we will present a full overview of the Edible Schoolyards Program, show examples from participating schools, elements of a school garden and discuss your answers from the Expression of Interest Form. Details about our design and costing process as well as up-to-date grant and fundraising information will be supplied. The outcome of the meeting with be a customised program specifically designed for your school.
3. Gathering Support.
When you have gathered enough support to commence the program via the supplied Commitment Poster, stage one of the program will commence.
4. Stage 1
We have developed stage 1 to allow for funding and sponsorship to be acquired before proceeding to stage 2. If funding has already be secured, stage 1 and 2 can commence consecutively.
Professional Development 1: Full day workshop teaching the fundamentals of designing, constructing and maintaining a sustainable edible schoolyard. We hold regular PD1 workshops in most regional areas of SEQ. Check our website for details.
Curriculum Links: Online access to curriculum links from prep to year 10.
Design & Actioning: The design of your school garden can be completed with or without student and staff participation. EL found that by including students in the design process a deeper understanding of the elements of the garden will be gained and a sense of ownership in the gardens will be established. We have suggested activities or can facilitate the process.
Detailed estimate: From the concept design, a detailed estimate will be supplied which includes construction costs, materials, soils, tools and equipment. The quote will also include fee structures for the EL Garden Guru and Veggie Doctor services. This estimate can be submitted by the school to gain funding through government grants or via our Adopt an Edible Schoolyard strategy.
Veggie Doctor visits: Short, fun and interactive lessons from the Veggie Doctors will begin to prepare primary school students with the fundamental skills of sustainable gardening. EL Garden Gurus can provide the same service to high school students.
5. Stage 2
One on one training: Custom designed short or full day PD workshops can be held at your school on pupil free days or weekends for teachers, staff and volunteers.
Upon approval of the design and estimate, the full project will commence. A detailed timeline for the construction of the garden will be supplied to help the school integrate the gardens into class timetables and curriculum outcomes.
Professional Development 2: Potential for curriculum links within the school garden. This PD gives teachers confidence and tools to see and utilise curriculum links for maximising learning outcomes using the school garden.
We will discuss and supply access to online curriculum downloads, professional development for teachers, classroom timetables, printed support materials plus construction and planting schedules.
EL Garden Guru weekly or monthly full day visits will provide curriculum based lessons for participating classes. Communication with teachers is vital to ensure curriculum outcomes are met during gardening lessons.
6. Stage 3
Professional Development 3: This workshops supports teachers in writing curriculum documents with links to the garden. Lesson plans, notes, resources, outcomes and designing a whole school approach are discussed.
Ongoing support: The program is designed to provide schools with enough support, training and materials to become self reliant within a 2-3 year period, depending on the scale of the gardens. Ongoing support can be provided when required to help with pest and disease problems, further professional development or to extend the garden into other areas of the school.
Each of these stages play an important role in the creation process of a sustainable edible schoolyard that will remain viable from now and into the future.
Edible Schoolyards
Creating an edible schoolyard?
An Edible Schoolyards Program focuses on building and maintaining shared vegetable, herb and fruit gardens for students, teachers and families.
The process:
We have developed stage 1 to allow for funding and sponsorship to be acquired before proceeding to stage 2. If funding has already be secured, stage 1 and 2 can commence consecutively.
Veggie Doctor visits: Short, fun and interactive lessons from the Veggie Doctors will begin to prepare primary school students with the fundamental skills of sustainable gardening. EL Garden Gurus can provide the same service to high school students.
Professional Development 3: This workshops supports teachers in writing curriculum documents with links to the garden. Lesson plans, notes, resources, outcomes and designing a whole school approach are discussed.