The Principal’s Breakfast on Monday morning was a resounding success, inspiring attendees with ideas and strategies to enhance school gardens. The event brought together a diverse group of principals, school garden specialists, and teachers, fostering a vibrant sharing of knowledge and experiences.

A lineup of speakers shared personal stories, highlighting the triumphs and challenges of building and maintaining school gardens while integrating them into the curriculum. Special guest Costa Georgiadis’ infectious passion for gardening and sustainability captivated the audience with a heartfelt message encouraging attendees to lead with the heart, to grow from the ground up and make a difference for generations to come.

Sponsors of the breakfast Plantfulness, believe children need to understand the earth and enjoy the health and benefits of gardens. They support projects with resources and knowledge.

Key takeaways included:

• Learn Together: If you don’t know how, learn alongside students.
• Student-Centered Design: Involve children in envisioning and shaping the garden.
• Integrated Learning: Use every garden task as a learning opportunity – identify, research, and solve problems.
• Leadership Matters: While passionate garden educators are essential, strong support from principals is crucial for success.

The morning was a celebration of the enduring value of gardens as an integral part of school life and learning. It encouraged commitment to nurturing both gardens and young minds, inspiring a collective vision for sustainable education and student health and wellbeing.

Missed it this year? Don’t worry – next year’s Principals’ Breakfast will be bigger, better, and greener.

Event sponsors

Do you have a garden educator or volunteer at your school who deserves recognition for their hard work?     

School gardens often have a dedicated ‘garden champion’ who goes above and beyond to ensure the program thrives for the benefit of students and school. Here is your chance to honour their efforts!

Nominate your School Garden Champion by completing the nomination form by 8 November.

The School Garden Champion Award and prize will be presented at the Principal’s Breakfast (information below) on Monday 9 December and present by our favourite gardener, Costa Georgiadis.

Engaging Secondary School Students in the World of Horticulture

Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria have worked closely with experienced consultants to develop immersive educational experiences that encourage students to Branch Out and learn about the thriving and dynamic world of horticulture.

Branch Out is designed for students in years 7–10 and offers rich learning opportunities, giving students a hand-on, real-world experience of horticulture. Participating schools will be provided with engaging, Victorian-curriculum aligned units of learning that contain everything required to teach students the basics of botany, give them an insight into the world of photosynthesis or encourage them to examine the biodiversity in their local area over the course of several weeks. Teachers will be provided with dedicated support during the planning and delivery of these units of learning.

The centrepiece of the Branch Out educational experience is an incursion, facilitated and funded through the SSAF, that will immerse students in different areas of horticultural study, while it all culminates in a fully funded excursion to learn about some of the incredible work being done in the industry.

Branch Out is currently only currently available to Victorian Government schools. We are currently accepting expressions of interest in the program. 3.  Express your interest here in participating in Branch Out or contact NGIV for further information.

This project is supported by the Secondary Schools Agriculture Fund, which is funded by Agriculture Victoria as part of the four-year $50 million Agriculture College Modernisation Fund.

Wednesday 29 March–Friday 31 March 2023

Victorian Schools Garden Program are delighted to welcome school-aged children and their teachers to enjoy a free suite of gardening activities to encourage the use of outdoor spaces at schools, and educate and inspire the next generation of green thumbs.

Come along and visit:

Bug and Bloom Garden (Kid’s Zone) presented by the Victorian Schools Garden Program

Celebrating the biodiverse world of mini-beasts and pollinating bees. Biodiversity has a direct impact on the world of beneficial insects and bees. Learn more about this microcosm and the fascinating mini-beasts who inhabit it. Get your young green thumbs growing and explore the vital role of bees for food through an immersive pollinator garden. Perfect for schools and young families.

Home Grown Patch presented by Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria

Enter into an abundant and productive garden, the ultimate Home Grown Patch. Share the journey of where food comes from, and the delight and satisfaction gardeners experience growing their food in a vibrant display of summer vegetable crops and their fragrant and flowering companion plants. This learning patch will encourage children and parents alike to grow food gardens from home, in the community and at our schools through an inviting garden of beautiful and productive plants.

Educational activities will be linked to the precinct and other areas throughout the show from:

– Wheen Bee Foundation

– Agriculture Victoria

– Beyond Blue

– With more activities to be announced shortly

Grow your Future: Careers Hub

Explore how you can grow your future with a career in horticulture. ‘Grow your future’ showcases the innovation and technology in the horticultural industry in partnership with educational and training organisations and leaders in industry technology, Power Plants. Transform your passion for plants into a rewarding and innovative vocation.

The schools’ program is open to all Victorian schools and international students. You can register below for free and attend the Show across one of the three free student days.
Register your school’s attendance