A little background
A Christchurch Trust in 1995 created the Kids’ Edible Gardens programme. The Kids’ Edible Gardens Trust developed 'A Growing Guide for Teachers' and a programme to support this, mostly funded through grants and some sponsorship.
We have been given their permission to use the guide and adapt the programme to work in our region.
For more information, download the Kids' Edible Gardens pamphlet:
The Marlborough programme
The Kids’ Edible Gardens programme aims to teach students to re-use organic waste, grow organic edible gardens and also eat the produce they make.
The Marlborough District Council programme is supported by a garden facilitator, contracted or working at the school, paid by Council to the school involved. Council also provides ongoing training for facilitators and teacher professional development. New teaching resources have been developed to help integrate the garden programme with the classroom programme.
How the edible garden fits into the New Zealand curriculum
Sustainability is a significant theme throughout the New Zealand curriculum. It seeks to ensure that learners are equipped to participate in, and contribute to, their own society and the wider world. An important aspect of this is to encourage students to consider significant future focused issues such as sustainability.
Research endorses school-based edible gardens as positively influencing both health and educational outcomes. Children gain the life skills of gardening and the benefits of working together to produce their own food.
How does the programme operate in schools
Each school operates the programme slightly differently depending on how schools are organised.
On the following page is an outline of some of the topics covered each term in the Kids’ Edible Gardens programme. This outline is supported by the resources and activities in the Kids’ Edible Gardens Kit for classroom delivery of the programme.
There are also detailed facilitator guides for each season and a teacher’s guide that links the Kids’ Edible programme with the key competencies with the New Zealand curriculum.
The Kids’ Edible Garden programme links into the Enviroschools programme, particularly the Living Landscapes and Zero Waste themes.