Gardens for Life
Gardens for Life is a project
partnership where schools use the cultivation of crops,
fruit and vegetables as a common global language for shared
learning.
"Our belief is that
children around the globe have a lot to learn from each other.
Gardens for Life is about collaboration and celebrating difference
while emphasising what we all have in common."
Gardens for
Life
"As a part of Gardens for Life these schools will be
growing plants and food crops in their schools and using
them to support the teaching of the science
curriculum."
Purandar Taluka,
Maharashtra, India
"One of the reasons to establish
Gardens for Life is so that we can produce our own food
when the World Food Programme at our school is stopped.
The students bring animal manure from their homes to improve the
soil fertility as well as water for the plants. The vegetables
supplement the main diet of maize and beans."
Milimani Primary School, Samburu,
Kenya
"This year we grew potatoes, of
many different types, and cooked them using different recipes. We
grew enough to supply the school kitchen for one complete week. We
also grew some rare varieties of mangels and tomatoes."
Fairford Primary, Gloucestershire,
UK
What can you do?
- Cultivate your own school garden and compare it with a
garden or crops grown at a partner school in India, Kenya
or The Gambia
- Share awareness of healthy eating with your partner
school
- Look at the reasons for poor nutrition both in the UK and in
other countries - relate this to human rights and other development
issues
- Find out about foods grown and meals prepared in
other countries
- Learn about use of local produce, cash crops, trade, food
transportation - all curriculum linked topics
- Follow up and benefit from your community links such as
with local farms and gardens, supermarkets, ethnic allotments,
organic gardening
- Support outdoor learning and healthy lifestyles
What does a project look like?
The Eden Project
Gardens for Life is run by the Eden Project working with
the Real Ideas Organisation, and started in Cornwall nearly a
decade ago. Over 20,000 children and young people, 400
teachers, with many families and communities in four continents,
have participated in the GFL to date and the Eden Project
is now opening up GFL to other interested schools in
the UK and elsewhere. It is also set to bring in schools in
The Gambia, new areas of Maharashtra in India and the
more arid areas of Kenya.
To get started, please register your
school, clearly stating Gardens for Life in your school
message. Your details will be forwarded to GFL.
For more information, email
gardensforlife@edenproject.com
Telephone: +44 (0) 1726 818824
Website:
www.edenproject.com
The Eden Project is an Educational
Charity
Funding
Global Gateway can advise on funding if you decide to make your
GFL partnership a feature of the school and build a whole school
link.
International School Award
Gardens for Life qualifies your school for the Intermediate
Level of the ISA and counts as an international
activity (one of seven) towards the Full Award. See the
ISA Zone for more details