Urban Farming & AgriTech: A Term 2 Sustainability Starter That Students Actually Enjoy

Sustainability becomes meaningful when students can see touch and improve something in their own environment. Urban Farming & AgriTech is designed to bring sustainability learning to life through hands-on cultivation observation and problem solving. Positioned as a Term 2 starter programme, it helps students understand food systems and responsible resource use in a way that feels relevant and engaging.

Delivered under Centre of Applied Technology and Environmental Science, this programme supports schools looking to move beyond theory and into authentic sustainability practice.

Why Start Sustainability Learning in Term 2

April is an ideal time to introduce sustainability concepts as students settle into the academic year and are ready for applied learning. Urban Farming & AgriTech uses real-world contexts to build curiosity and responsibility before assessment pressures increase.

Students do not just learn about sustainability. They practise it through observation measurement and improvement.

Learning Sustainability Through Doing

Students explore how food is grown in urban environments and how technology supports efficient and responsible farming. Activities are structured to encourage inquiry and reflection rather than memorisation.

Hands-On Cultivation and Care

Students participate in planting and basic cultivation tasks that introduce concepts such as plant needs resource management and growth cycles. This builds ownership and long-term responsibility.

Measurement and Observation

Using simple tools and guided prompts students observe changes track growth and discuss how conditions affect outcomes. These activities strengthen scientific thinking and evidence-based explanations.

Understanding Food Systems and Responsible Choices

Through guided discussion and tasks students examine how food systems connect to sustainability. Topics include resource use waste reduction and everyday choices that affect the environment.

Students learn to connect small actions to larger sustainability outcomes which supports both Environmental Science and Character Education goals.

Integrating Learning Into School Evidence

Urban Farming & AgriTech is designed to plug easily into school learning frameworks. Schools can extend the programme through:

• Student reflection journals or learning logs

• Sustainability posters or visual summaries

• Mini exhibitions or class sharing sessions

These extensions provide authentic learning evidence and support Applied Learning and Values in Action objectives.

A Quick School Audit for Easy Planning

To support coordinators the programme includes a short school audit checklist that helps schools plan quickly and effectively. This includes:

• Available space for planting or observation

• Student level and time allocation

• Links to existing sustainability or CCE initiatives

This makes implementation smooth and realistic within school constraints.

Why Schools Choose Urban Farming & AgriTech

• Makes sustainability tangible and relevant

• Encourages responsibility and problem solving

• Supports Environmental Science and Applied Learning

• Easy to integrate into Term 2 planning

• Engages students through real-world impact

Request a Term 2 sustainability starter package proposal