Winners Announced for Annual School Garden Competition
Congratulations to the 12 schools recognized in our annual School Garden Competition for their innovative approaches to garden-based education. The competition, now in its fifth year, celebrates excellence in school gardening programs across Africa, highlighting creative solutions, student engagement, and educational impact.
This year's competition received a record 87 entries from schools in 9 countries, representing a diverse range of environments, resources, and approaches. Entries were evaluated by a panel of judges including educators, agricultural experts, and community leaders, who assessed each garden based on educational integration, sustainability practices, student involvement, community engagement, and innovation.
"What impressed us most this year was the creativity schools demonstrated in overcoming challenges," says Dr. Amina Diallo, chair of the judging panel. "From urban schools with limited space to rural schools in drought-prone areas, we saw remarkable ingenuity in designing gardens that serve as effective outdoor classrooms while addressing local environmental conditions."
Award Categories and Winners
Awards were presented in four categories, with gold, silver, and bronze recognition in each:
Gold: Umoja Primary School, Kenya
Recognized for their remarkable vertical garden system that maximizes limited urban space, incorporating rainwater harvesting and solar-powered irrigation. The judges were particularly impressed by the student-designed monitoring system that tracks water usage and plant growth.
Silver: École du Soleil, Senegal
Honored for their aquaponics system that combines fish farming with vegetable production, creating a closed-loop system that conserves water while providing both protein and produce for the school lunch program.
Bronze: Nkosi Secondary School, South Africa
Recognized for their student-run seed library that preserves and distributes indigenous crop varieties, connecting traditional agricultural knowledge with modern science education.
Gold: Nyota Academy, Tanzania
Celebrated for their comprehensive integration of the garden into all subject areas, with standout projects including mathematical garden design, scientific experiments on soil composition, and a garden-inspired creative writing program.
Silver: Collège Vert, Côte d'Ivoire
Recognized for their garden-based science curriculum that connects traditional ecological knowledge with modern environmental science, creating opportunities for intergenerational learning.
Bronze: Akwaaba Primary, Ghana
Honored for their digital garden journal project that combines technology skills with garden-based learning, allowing students to document and share their observations and experiments.
Gold: Unity School, Nigeria
Celebrated for transforming their school garden into a community hub that hosts weekend workshops, a farmers market, and intergenerational knowledge exchange programs. Their garden now serves as a demonstration site for urban farming techniques.
Silver: École des Baobabs, Mali
Recognized for their garden mentorship program that pairs students with local farmers, creating meaningful connections while preserving traditional agricultural knowledge.
Bronze: Tumaini School, Rwanda
Honored for their garden produce donation program that provides fresh vegetables to a local elder care facility, combining food production with community service.
Gold: Kalahari Primary, Botswana
Celebrated for their drought-resistant garden design that combines traditional water conservation techniques with modern permaculture principles, creating a thriving garden in an arid environment with minimal water usage.
Silver: Green Future Academy, Uganda
Recognized for their comprehensive waste management system that converts all organic school waste into compost, creating a closed-loop system that eliminates the need for external inputs.
Bronze: Lycée de l'Environnement, Cameroon
Honored for their biodiversity garden that serves as a habitat for pollinators and beneficial insects, demonstrating ecological principles while supporting local ecosystems.
Impact Beyond Awards
While the competition recognizes exemplary programs, its broader goal is to inspire and support garden-based education across Africa. To this end, all participating schools receive:
- Detailed feedback from the judging panel
- Access to a digital resource library with curriculum materials and garden management guides
- Invitation to join the School Garden Network, a community of practice for educators
- Opportunity to participate in regional workshops and knowledge exchange events
"The competition is just one element of our broader School Partnerships program," explains Jean-Pierre Mbungu, Dilulu's School Programs Director. "Our goal is to create a supportive ecosystem for garden-based education, where schools can learn from each other and continually improve their programs."
Prizes and Support
In addition to recognition, winning schools receive tangible support to enhance their garden programs:
- Gold winners: $1,500 grant for garden expansion or improvement, plus a comprehensive resource package including books, tools, and curriculum materials
- Silver winners: $1,000 grant and a selection of garden tools and educational resources
- Bronze winners: $500 grant and educational resources
All winning schools will also receive mentorship from agricultural and educational experts to help them further develop their programs.
Celebration and Recognition
Winners were announced during a virtual ceremony attended by representatives from all participating schools, as well as education officials, agricultural experts, and community leaders. The ceremony featured presentations from each gold-winning school, sharing insights and lessons learned from their garden programs.
A documentary showcasing the winning gardens and their impact on students and communities is currently in production and will be released next month. This film will serve as both a celebration of the winners and an educational resource for other schools interested in developing or enhancing their garden programs.
Looking Ahead: 2026 Competition
Planning is already underway for the 2026 School Garden Competition, with several enhancements based on feedback from this year's participants:
- New category for first-time garden programs to encourage schools just starting their garden journey
- Regional preliminary rounds to allow for more context-specific evaluation
- Student judging component to incorporate youth perspectives in the evaluation process
- Expanded mentorship program connecting new garden programs with experienced schools
"Each year, we're amazed by the creativity and dedication we see in these school gardens," says Marie Ndongo, Dilulu's Executive Director. "These programs are not just growing plants – they're growing the next generation of environmental stewards and community leaders."
Applications for the 2026 competition will open in September 2025. Schools interested in participating can register their interest to receive updates and preparation resources.
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