THE REEP GARDEN AWARDS FOR SCHOOLS 2002-2003
For school garden designs reflecting community and spiritual values
Every
school should have a garden!
Whether in a busy urban area or a quiet rural setting, whether there are
two thousand pupils or fewer than a hundred, there's always scope for a
place where everyone can take time to reflect and renew their energy.
The REEP (RE and Environment Programme) Garden Awards scheme is a unique
major initiative in association with the National Trust. It provides a chance
for the 25,000 schools in England, Wales and Scotland to design their own
gardens. Over £10,000 worth of awards, of £500 each, provide
the basis for building your own garden and help to raise interest, and perhaps
sponsorship, from other members of the community.
Why are the Awards unusual?
They combine one of the oldest human activities - gardening - with one of
the most recent - using information technology - and they give schools a
chance both to improve their environment and to reflect on the process.
Schools who have already made themselves a garden can still enter by designing
something for their neighbourhood.
In association with the National Trust
The Awards are presented in association with the National Trust. Mike Calnan,
Head of Gardens and Parks for the Trust and Chair of the Judging Panel,
says…
"Gardening is about more than tending a piece of land. It's about
expressing who we are and what we think. This exciting Garden Awards scheme
gives children everywhere an opportunity to reap the harvest of success,
and to make their mark, by creating beauty for all to share."
Endorsed by Chris Beardshaw
The BBC's 'Flying Gardener' Chris Beardshaw has endorsed the REEP Garden
Awards. He will be one of the judges and will be present at the Awards ceremony.
"Wherever you live, the REEP Awards are a great chance to have fun
making your school blossom. I look forward to seeing your entries."
The Awards and the School Curriculum
Diana Lazenby, Director of REEP, says "The Awards are a great focus
for RE and other curriculum work, especially Citizenship, Music, ICT, Art
and Science."
By entering for an Award you can…
- Give your school an opportunity to develop a garden
- Access fun and unusual learning materials that help pupils and teachers
reflect on the role of the garden in world faiths, and the importance
of the natural world
- Explore work with a spiritual dimension in different subjects
- Improve the school environment and pupils' interest in it
- Explore the idea of the garden as a way to create and maintain links
in the local community
- Use information technology in spreading ideas and good practice
Awards Categories
The scheme is in two sections (Primary and Secondary) for all schools in
England, Wales and Scotland. Special schools are encouraged to apply. Some
Awards are being presented jointly with an associated sponsor (e.g. a £3,000
art award with ACE, the Art and Christianity Enquiry Trust, for working
with an artist). Gardens may be produced in all shapes and sizes. Awards
are related to five main curriculum areas…
- Religious Education
For overall concept
Memorial gardens
A 'faith-inspired' garden
- Environmental and Citizenship Studies
Ecology and wildlife conservation
Community involvement
Urban and rural contexts
Participation in planning urban space
- Art
Incorporation of a work of art
Involvement of an artist
- Music
'Garden' compositions
Using music in the entry presentation
- Information Technology
For further information, see the Award details
section
The Awards Website
At www.reep.org you will find...
- Details for entries and online registration
- Virtual gardens to visit, featuring a Wild Garden, a Pleasure Garden,
a Garden for Meditation and a Working Garden. The gardens are full of
background information on different sorts of gardens, their origins
and their symbolic traditions in world faiths
- Practical hints for gardening and for making your Awards entry.
Examples of Award winners and other good practice will be featured after
the Awards have been made.
The website will be updated regularly in the course of the Awards process.
Timescale
Launch: 5th October 2002
Closing Date: 28th April 2003
Judging: May 2003
Awards Ceremony: September 2003
About REEP
The RE and Environment Programme, set up by a charitable trust in the 1990s,
is a resource for teachers and learners at all stages of school. It provides
unusual and thought-provoking resources on sustainability, ecology and environmental
issues, for use in Religious Education and related curriculum areas. These
materials are all provided via the internet and are free of charge to the
user. The site is well established as a leader of good practice in educational
technology, is widely used in schools and is part of the National Grid for
Learning (the kitemark for educational resources on the internet). REEP
has a very extensive network of supporters and contacts. It works with all
faiths and is non-denominational.
For further information
Contact REEP
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