Growing Options offers young people with special/complex needs the opportunity to manage successfully the challenges of the transition from adolescence to adulthood and progress towards an active and independent adult life.
At the Thrive Battersea Garden Project we are helping 16 young people, aged 14 to 16 years from three Inner London schools. In addition to a break from their classroom routine, they have the chance to learn horticulture skills and can study towards various levels of City & Guilds Skills for Working Life in Horticulture.
Teachers and parents of these young people often struggle to find ways of keeping these young people positive, motivated and learning. Here are some of their comments about the benefits of Growing Options :
"We didn’t even consider gardening as a learning tool, and are absolutely amazed by the success and outcomes"
...confidence grew as he found something that motivates him"
"working with students from another school is also a great opportunity for our students to socialise with students they are not immediately familiar with, and this increases their confidence and improves their learning"
The students benefit from one to one support and tasks include sowing seeds, growing and harvesting vegetables and herbs, and learning how to use tools safely. The activities at Thrive help them to:
- gain confidence and self esteem
- work in a team of people their own age and make new friends
- work and communicate more easily with adults
- develop greater independence and maturity
- feel they are achieving and gaining confidence
- learn a new hobby and have options for further study and the possibility of a rewarding career
Thrive wants to build on the success of Growing Options and to give more young people access to the option of an outdoor classroom. We a looking to start a new vocational training programme 'Grow and Learn' which will involve a wider age range of young people aged 14 to 19 years and offer the City & Guilds Level 1 in Work Based Horticulture.
For more information on our Growing Options programme please email us or call us on 020 7720 2212