This year, the Victorian School Garden Program received a significant increase in the number of grant applications, with a total of 810 applications from 386 schools and kindergartens. That’s a whopping 270 more applications than last year! The VSGP Committee was thrilled to see so many remarkable applications, and it certainly made the job of reviewing and assessing each of the proposed garden projects quite the challenge.

We are delighted to announce that this year, the VSGP will distribute $44,000 worth of grants to 67 successful schools to contribute to their school garden projects, in the form of nursery vouchers or garden products. The VSGP Committee is incredibly proud to support such inspiring projects and look forward to seeing these gardens come to life over the next year.

Click here to view the 2024 Grant results

The vision and effort each school and kindergarten put into their proposed garden projects highlight the importance of green spaces in our educational environments and the wonderful benefits they bring to our children and communities.

We wish could we provide all entrants the opportunity to fulfil their proposed garden project and thank those unsuccessful applicants for their efforts. We hope all schools continue to nurture our children’s education through outdoor leaning and wonders of gardening.

Schools’ interest in garden grants has significantly risen this year, with 810 applications from 386 Victorian schools, reflecting a strong interest in outdoor learning and sustainability.

However, this trend also underscores the issue of inadequate funding for such projects within schools.
Despite their best efforts, securing funding for garden programs remains a hurdle for educators who are committed to providing enriching outdoor learning experiences for their students.

School gardens offer a rich space for hands-on learning, fostering curiosity, environmental responsibility, and essential life skills. Yet, financial limitations often obstruct the realisation of these green spaces.

Promoting policies favouring school garden funding ensures all children can thrive in an environment fostering curiosity, stewardship, and growth. This allows every school, not just the 65 successful ones from the VSGP Grants program, to build vibrant outdoor learning spaces.

The VSGP Committee are currently accessing the Grant applications, with the results to be announced in early June.

Come and see the imaginative scarecrows entries of Victorian schools and kindergartens in the Sustainable Scarecrow School Competition at the at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.

Winners for Best Use of Recyclable Materials have been decided with Freya the Garden Fairy from Camberwell South Primary School claiming first place, followed by Party Witch from Point Cook College P-9 in second place and Gobata from St Joseph’s Primary School in Werribee coming third.

The scarecrows are on display in the Grow Together Garden presented by the Victorian Schools Garden Program, Foodcube, and the Sustainable Landscape Design Co.

Show attendees can voted for their favourite scarecrow, with the People’s Choice winner being announced on Sunday at 12pm.

1st Place – Freya the Garden Fairy from Camberwell South Primary School

2nd Place – Party Witch from Point Cook College P-9

3rd Place – Gobata from St Joseph’s Primary School in Werribee

People’s Choice – Sarah by Holy Cross Primary School in New Gisborne

The weather could not have been more perfect for the 46^th Annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards Presentation Ceremony, held at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, on Oak Lawns under the shade of the beautiful oak trees.

Over 460 students and teachers, from 35 schools across the State, some as far Wendouree and Mt Beauty, gathered to celebrate their school garden achievements and to find out what Award they had won.

Three regional schools, Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School in Cowes, Warrnambool East Primary School and Heywood and District Secondary College were the state finalists, with Heywood and District Secondary College taking out the grand prize of the Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award.

Heywood and District Secondary College garden boasts a hydroponic shade house; kitchen garden; aquaponics; compost bays and worm farms to support natural fertiliser for gardens beds; orchard and a chicken coop used by Food Technology classes; frog bogs; yarning circle; and a range of farm animals as part of their agriculture program. Students have been an integral part of the planning/design, building/development, and maintenance of these areas.

Over $44,000 worth of vouchers and garden products were distributed to the successful schools to continue their impressive garden programs, with categories including the Best Edible Garden, Most Engaging Garden for Wellbeing Learning and Best Improvement of a School’s Green Space, to name a few.

School gardens provide great hands-on learning opportunities while also contributing to the mental health and well-being of our students, staff and school communities. The Victorian School Gardens Program encourages schools to see the learning capabilities in developing their yards and envisions ‘every school a garden, every garden a classroom’. For more information on grants, free garden incursions, the Branch Out program, awards and teachers’ workshops, visit vsgp.org.au.

The Victorian Schools Garden Program would like to thank the Victorian State Government, Department of Education and other award sponsors for their continued support and help to grow young green thumbs and a sustainable future.

Click here for 2023 VSGP Award results.