We believe that Cultivating Change can support work that is already happening in many schools.  Cultivating Change supports mental health and promotes wellbeing by delivering assemblies and growing workshops to local schools and community groups as part of our 'Cultivate & Educate' schools program. This program aims to establish, encourage and facilitate growing opportunities in  school gardens, classrooms and at home to improve and support the children’s wellbeing. 

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 In addition, and to enhance this, we donate thousands of packets of herb, vegetable & flower seeds to schools nationally for children to grow at home with their families and provide ‘how to grow’ video resources to support them from our RHS trained volunteer horticulturist. The aim of these activities are to educate, empower and engage children, fostering positive life-long habits and self-care. 

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Research shows children struggle with mental health:

 '1 in 6 children and young people have a diagnosable mental health problem, and many continue to have these problems into adulthood’ (Gomez, 2022).

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 Getting children growing has a positive impact:

'Primary school children taking place in a school-based garden programme reported feeling more positive about their future.’ (RHS 2022)

 

We see the benefits of our work in schools firsthand.

100% of our growers said being part of Cultivating Change had a positive impact on their wellbeing (Cultivating Change 2023)

 

Local schools we’ve worked with have said:

“I greatly appreciate the important message you shared with our school community.

Every child was engaged in each activity. It was wonderful to hear the children singing the 'Live with Nature' song happily to themselves in the playground" (St Faith's School 2024)

 

Time spent engaged in gardening, assemblies and workshop activities will also help the children learn lifelong skills, be aware of where food comes from, provide kinesthetic ways of learning, understand the importance of teamwork, improve their environment by supporting the school garden and their own home environments by taking home new learnt skills and support the children's wellbeing.

 

Cultivating Change can support schools in their journey to become happier, greener spaces and improve young people's connection with nature.

 

What Cultivating Change offers Schools

• Free seed bundles, growing videos & advice and support from our horticulturalist, our 'sowing & growing expert'.

• A closed schools Facebook group, allowing you to communicate with other schools in a safe, online space to share ideas & experiences.

•  In-school growing opportunities  e.g. workshops

• Assemblies to raise awareness of the benefits of gardening on mental & physical wellbeing.

 

What do we ask in return?

• A collaborative engagement with Cultivating Change sharing your growing experiences.

• Formal feedback in the form of questionnaires & surveys.

• Raising awareness of Cultivating Change within your wider school community.

• Promoting Cultivating Change across your social media channels.

• Contribution towards the cost of resources and a donation to Cultivating Change to allow our work to continue. Please get in touch by email (hello@cultivatingchange.co.uk) to discuss this further. 

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The scale of your involvement is very much up to you.  From growing a small selection of herbs on a windowsill, to using horticulture as therapy to support student wellbeing – Cultivating Change can support you through seed donation and collaboration.

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