VSGP: 2021 AWARDS CEREMONY

Mother of God School takes top prize at the 2021 Victorian Schools Garden Awards Ceremony

By Matt Ross

The 45th annual Victorian Schools Garden Awards Ceremony premiered on Thursday 2 December 2021. A big thank you to VSGP advocate, Costa Georgiadis, who hosted the virtual ceremony and announced the winners with Deputy Premier and Minister for Education, James Merlino, congratulating schools, teachers, and students on their achievements in what’s been a very challenging year.

And the 2021 Award winners were;

Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award winner

Mother of God School, Ardeer

Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria – Best School Garden Exhibiting Biodiversity Award winners

St Columba’s Primary School, Elwood Whittlesea Primary School Sandringham College

Maxicrop – Best Edible Garden Award winners

Wandin Yallock Primary School Murrumbeena Primary School Footscray High School Catholic Education Melbourne –Most Engaging Student Garden for Wellbeing Learning winners: Jackson School, St Albans St John’s Primary School, Footscray Matthew Flinders Girls Secondary College, Geelong

Independent Schools Victoria – Greatest Demonstrated Improvement of School’s Green Space Award winners

St Joseph’s Primary, Sorrento Sacred Heart Primary School, Newport Point Cook Senior Secondary College

Turf Victoria Award sponsored by StrathAyr winner

Maldon Primary School Most Engaging for Play Award winners are: Leopold Kindergarten St James Catholic Primary School, Brighton Rosewood Downs Primary School, Dandenong North

Horticulture Media Association Award winner

Swan Hill Specialist School

Australian Growing Solutions Award winner

Noble Park Primary School

Fleming’s Nurseries Award winner

Wallington Primary School

RB Landscape Award winner

Sunshine Heights Primary School

State Award winner (Primary and Special Schools with less than 280 pupils)

Mother of God Primary School, Ardeer

State Award winner (Primary and Special Schools with over 280 pupils)

Camberwell South Primary School

State Award winner (Prep–9, Prep–12 and all Secondary Colleges)

Parade College, Bundoora

Mother of God School took out the top prize, the Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award. The small school of 139 culturally diverse students, incorporates outdoor learning and garden projects into their curriculum with learning gardens next to their classrooms.

Students are involved in every phase of the gardening works, from concept, to design and implementation. The school staff have observed that this approach provides a sense of belonging for the students, as indeed does the community garden for the broader local community. The other state Awards winners, Camberwell South Primary School and Parade College, also boast garden programs that endorse community engagement and improve student learning outcomes, with meaningful hands-on learning opportunities in their gardens.

The VSGP applauds all schools that give their students the opportunity to engage in learning activities which are incorporate school gardens. We’re passionate about encouraging all schools to view their external environments as interesting and engaging additional classroom spaces to be utilise and to get involved in VSGP’s 2022 Grant and Award Programs. We would like to thank the Victorian Schools Garden Program’s wonderful sponsors who recognise the benefit of involving students in outdoor learning, we greatly appreciate your support and contributions to the program.

More information

To view the 2021 VSGP Award Ceremony or a full list of all 2021 VSGP Award results, please visit the VSGP website at vsgp.org.au.

Kevin Heinze Perpetual Award winner, Mother of God School

The Victorian Schools Garden Program is proudly supported by