Applications are now open for the 2017 Victorian Schools Garden Awards program.

The Awards program recognises and rewards the achievements of students and school communities in their school gardens. It is run annually across both metropolitan and regional Victoria and schools from all sectors – Public, Catholic and Independent are invited to enter.

This year there is  $38,000 worth of prizes available to be won so we encourage any school with a garden program to enter.

To enter all you need to do is complete an online application with  your  school’s  details  and  attach your presentation or video.

In 2017, we have an exciting new category, the HMA Jouralism Award for Best Horticulture Article, where the successful article will be published in two horticultre magazines as well as receiving a $1000 voucher for their school garden.

Awards Categories this year are:

• Most engaging Garden for Play 
• Catholic Education Melbourne – Most Engaging Student Garden for Learning 
• Maxicrop – Best Edible Garden 
• Independent Schools Victoria – Greatest Demonstrated Improvement of School’s Green Space
• Nursery & Garden Industry of Victoria – Best School Garden Exhibiting Biodiversity 
• HMA Journalism Award for Best Horticulture Article
• Turf Victoria Award – Turf package prize
• Fleming’s Nurseries Award – Orchard prize
• Australian Growing Solutions Award – Garden compost prize

For more information go to the Awards program .

The VSGA committee have spent the past month reading and evaluating the 332 grant applications submitted by schools for the 9 categories of grants that were available.

It is not an easy task selecting the successful schools with so many applications presenting amazing garden project plans.

Of the 210 schools that entered, 41 schools will receive garden products or vouchers (to be redeemed at Nursery & Garden Industry of Victoria retail member stores) to implement their garden project.

To the unsuccessful schools, we thank you for the time and effort taken to enter an application and encourage you try again next year.

 2017 VSGA Grant Recipients

Grant applications closed on  Friday 28^th April.   We had an outstanding response this year, receiving 332 applications from 210 schools from schools across the state.

Thank you to all the teachers/parents  who took the time to enter an application  for a school garden grant. It is wonderful to see so many schools wanting to implement garden projects into their school yards and provide their students the opportunity for hands on learning.

The VSGA committee now has the difficult task of evaluating the applications for all nine categories and select the successful schools.  The results will be published late May and vouchers posted to schools by end of May.

An opportunity for all Victorian schools to apply for one or all nine grant categories is now available.

Applications opened on the 1^st March and will close on 28^th April 2017 at 5pm.

With $30,000 worth of vouchers or products to be won for your garden, enter your school now.

A new and improved grant application system is now in use, making online entry stress free.

For more information on the Grants program, please go to the Grant section on this website.

Esteemed in history, Moorabbin Primary School No. 1111 dating back to 1875 was  announced as the recipient of the 2016 Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award for school garden excellence at the Victorian Schools Garden Awards (VSGA) ceremony.

Moorabbin’s grounds, once a barren underutilised facility has been transformed into an indigenous habitat, with frog friendly gardens, productive zones, fruit orchards and a chicken coup, changing their outdoor spaces into stimulating learning opportunities for the 245 students who attend the school and partake in weekly sustainability classes.

Over 300 students attended the VSGA Presentation Ceremony held in the beautiful and ideal surrounds of the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne to celebrate their gardening achievements. In excess of $40,000 worth of prizes was distributed amongst the winning schools to continue the growth of their gardens.

Ms Judith Graley MP, Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Education, presented the state and perpetual awards along with Paul Crowe OAM, VSGA patron and co-founder.

The VSGA program which will celebrate its 40^th anniversary next year has a long history of encouraging schools to consider their outdoor spaces as an important facet for learning, acting as  classrooms for hands on education while improving student health and well-being. It also acts as a vehicle for getting children involved in gardening and creates awareness of future employment opportunities in horticulture and environmental industries.

“We would love 2017 to be even bigger”, explains VSGA Chairman Craig Taberner, “I encourage all schools to get involved – it is simple, apply for a grant or enter for an award”.

Click here for 2016 VSGA Award Winners