What's new

The article looks at garden-based education run through partnerships between universities, schools, community gardens and other organisations. It notes that teachers often lack the community networks needed to make school gardens successful educational spaces. It describes how these networks can support teachers to use gardens effectively and pass knowledge on to wider communities through school newsletters, family connections and ongoing community engagement.

Why it matters in Aotearoa

For New Zealand schools using gardens as learning spaces, this article suggests that community partners can help teachers make gardens work as educational spaces and extend learning to whānau and the wider community.

Putting it into practice

Map the local organisations that could support your school garden, such as a community garden, council or tertiary provider. Set up one partnership with a clear role, and share garden learning in the school newsletter.

How strong is the evidence

This is a short article (5 pages) in Set: Research Information for Teachers that explores a collaborative, partnership-based approach to garden-based education. The abstract does not describe the study design, participants or measures, so the strength of the evidence cannot be judged from the abstract alone.

What to read

The full item (Set 2025, no. 2, pp. 3–7).

Who it's for