GROW at School is a food education programme that aims to enhance food literacy in primary schools. Through garden-based learning and hands-on growing experiences, we assist students in developing a deeper understanding of the origins of healthy, sustainable food, a concept we term as ‘food empathy’.
We equip schools with a comprehensive garden kit, which includes four raised beds, soil, seeds, and bulbs, along with curriculum-linked lesson plans. These resources support school gardens and elucidate the rationale behind GIY (Grow it Yourself) to students. Collectively, this programme transforms knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours surrounding food.
Following a three-year pilot, GIY launched the GROW at School programme nationally in 2022. We aim to engage 50% of primary schools across Ireland in GROW at School 2026, providing a vegetable garden in every school and supporting teachers to deliver garden-based learning to students. As a whole school resource, GROW at School will foster healthy, sustainable food behaviours, connecting students to the food system, and supporting them to become our future environmental agents of change.
If you are a teacher and would like to a part of GROW at School and get a school garden kit for your school, please complete our registration form to express your interest in joining the GROW at School programme. Please have your Roll ID number ready!
Our educational resources are useful for any teacher that is managing a garden or is interested in garden-based learning and food education. Check out what we have available below:
If you’d like to learn more about our school programme and how schools can engage, contact the Grow at School project team at: growatschool@giy.ie
GROW at School is funded through philanthropic support. To learn more, visit our philanthropy page or contact our Head of Philanthropy, Seánie Comerford: seanie@giy.ie
