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

This is an exciting time of year as the  Victorian  Schools Garden Awards (VSGA)  judge all submissions, and announce the winners of our Regional Awards as we head towards our official Presentation Ceremony on 29 November at the Royal Botanical Gardens Melbourne. With entries closing just before the end of Term 3, the VSGA  Committee  spent the school holidays and start of term 4 judging over 100 entries from schools across Victoria for all awards on offer.

As always the committee were impressed with the quality of entries and work schools are undertaking in their school grounds. Gardens are now being seen as an important element of school education. The committee applauds the efforts of schools who are expanding their grounds from basic produce gardens to include swales, wetlands, acquaponics, compost and worm farms, animal husbandry and more.  Classes are being taken outdoors and students are learning science, maths, history, art and language from hands on activities.

It is never an easy task selecting winners. We appreciate the amount of time and effort students, teachers and parents put into your gardens and lodging an award entry, and we do wish we could reward all schools.

Those schools that were unsuccessful this year are encouraged to  try again next year.  It may be only a matter of a few points that separates you from ultimate success under the VSGA program.

Click here for 2016 Regional Award Results