My Mini Growing Space is a small woodland or edible teaching garden that we help you create for your school, community group, or local organisation. It’s an accessible and empowering way to turn an underused outdoor space into a vibrant hub for learning, growing, and connecting.
Exciting News!
We’re thrilled to share that My Mini Growing Space has won the 2024 International Montessori Award for Community Learning Initiative of the Year from Montessori Global Education.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“Growing Space emphasizes hands-on learning through gardening, mirroring Montessori’s focus on practical life skills and connecting with nature. It fosters family and community involvement through art projects and volunteering days, building a strong school community — a crucial element in Montessori education. The nomination alone highlights the project’s value to local communities. Growing Space exemplifies the essence of Montessori education, creating positive, inclusive environments that support well-being, nature connection, and community spirit.”
Read more here: https://montessori-globaleducation.org/awards-2024/
Get Started Today!
We’ll help you launch your own Mini Growing Space with a simple, step-by-step process, designed to make it easy, even for complete beginners! Our approach empowers children, adults and communities to get growing with confidence, creativity, and joy.
The 5-Step Process
Who Can Apply?
This initiative is open to:
What You’ll Receive (Upon Funding Approval)
Expert Support:
We’re here to help you create a green space that inspires learning, connection, and growth — and we’ll support you every step of the way.
My Mini Growing Space is a small woodland or edible teaching garden that we help you create for your school, community group, or local organisation. It’s an accessible and empowering way to turn an underused outdoor space into a vibrant hub for learning, growing, and connecting.
Exciting News!
We’re thrilled to share that My Mini Growing Space has won the 2024 International Montessori Award for Community Learning Initiative of the Year from Montessori Global Education.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“Growing Space emphasizes hands-on learning through gardening, mirroring Montessori’s focus on practical life skills and connecting with nature. It fosters family and community involvement through art projects and volunteering days, building a strong school community — a crucial element in Montessori education. The nomination alone highlights the project’s value to local communities. Growing Space exemplifies the essence of Montessori education, creating positive, inclusive environments that support well-being, nature connection, and community spirit.”
Read more here: https://montessori-globaleducation.org/awards-2024/
Get Started Today!
We’ll help you launch your own Mini Growing Space with a simple, step-by-step process, designed to make it easy, even for complete beginners! Our approach empowers children, adults and communities to get growing with confidence, creativity, and joy.
The 5-Step Process
Who Can Apply?
This initiative is open to:
What You’ll Receive (Upon Funding Approval)
Expert Support:
We’re here to help you create a green space that inspires learning, connection, and growth — and we’ll support you every step of the way.
The growing space has allowed the early years children access to plant and grow a wide range of vegetables and flowers.
The children have been involved in choosing what they would like to grow, where they would like to plant and also ensuring the area is kept clean and tidy.
The money has allowed us to buy new planters, soil and equipment for the children to use.
We have been able to create links with families in school who have donated plants for the children to replant and also supported us clearing areas and planting.
Over the course of this year we hope that we can continue to open this opportunity to more families and a wider group of children within school
The growing space has allowed the early years children access to plant and grow a wide range of vegetables and flowers.
The children have been involved in choosing what they would like to grow, where they would like to plant and also ensuring the area is kept clean and tidy.
The money has allowed us to buy new planters, soil and equipment for the children to use.
We have been able to create links with families in school who have donated plants for the children to replant and also supported us clearing areas and planting.
Over the course of this year we hope that we can continue to open this opportunity to more families and a wider group of children within school
Action plan:
Timeline: When will you be able to start your project? How often will your team meet? Are there any key dates to share for the project?
We will start the project in september, we will meet weekely to work on the project and the upkeep of the area.
Budget: You don't need to share exact prices, but please share how you're planning to spend the seed funding & what costs you're anticipating to get your project up and running:
The budget will be used to purchase materials needed for the project as well as seeds for the children to grow.
Inital costs include wooden raised planters to make the area accessble to all as well as ground level planting.
Seeds
Gardening equipment.
Impact: How will your community benefit from this project? Do you have any measurable goals for your project, such as the number of people that will participate? Are you hoping to spread knowledge or increase interest in a specific subject?
Location: If your project requires physical space, have you decided the location? Do you have all necessary permission and permits to carry out your project at the chosen location?
We have permission from the Leadership team to use and develop the forest school area in school.
Additional questions
Please answer the questions below as much as you can.
Growing Space will review the information you provide before your kickstart call.
This will help save time and get you started straight on your project once you receive your seed funding!
Age group of those involved in the project: The project will intially be focused on chidlren in EYFS with the idea to roll it out across school once established.
Number of children/adults the project will benefit: initally 56
Future activities: describe the activities you aim to run in the future with your Growing Space (for example: gardening, forest school, herb tasting with parents/neighbours/extended families of children/elderly people, etc.): --Growing food which the children are able to taste/ cook. We have also been working on perental engament and this would be a lovely project for parents and carers to be invovled in.
Material/trees: what trees/structure(s) or features do you already have in site? (if none, just answer 'none'): - Trees/ outdoor classroom.
Does your site have water access? - inside water access
Do you want to install a water butt (not obligatory) - yes
Please confirm in one sentence that you have permission from a manager or landlord (of the building or head of a school (as necessary) saying that they are happy to make the improvement of their outdoor space and let you lead the project - I have permission from the Head teacher, they are happy to make improvment to the outdoor space and let me lead the project.
What is the exact measurement/size of the proposed space for your My Mini Growing Space? Mulitple planters 2.3M in length
Please upload a few pictures of the site and from different angles (ideally 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon, when the sun is out)"
What time of the day does the space get the most sun and for how long? For the majority of the afternoon.
If you have the plans, a sketch, or a rough drawing of the space you intend to use, please upload it as part of your Action Plan
That’s all for now!
We are excited to get you started!