Schools Growing Initiative - Dandelion
Dandelion / Programme

Schools Growing Initiative

School children pointing and looking at a growing cube containing plants

468 schools, over 100 Grow Cubes, tonnes of tatties – welcome to Scotland's growing experiment.

About

APRIL – SEPTEMBER 2022
THROUGHOUT SCOTLAND

Schoolchildren across Scotland took part in a huge nationwide experiment into how traditional growing methods compare with 21st-century techniques to shape the food production of the future.

We gifted more than 100 Dandelion Growing Cubes to schools across Scotland. Each of these small see-through boxes is a miniature indoor farm, equipped with growfelt, seeds and LEDs. We invited pupils to take control of their Cubes – varying the light, moisture, humidity and nutrients to see what makes their plants grow.

Schoolchildren were also in charge of the Big Tattie Experiment, our countrywide spud-growing spectacular.

At Harvest, pupils came together to share what they’d grown at hundreds of Harvest celebrations in playgrounds across Scotland – with live music, art, stories and much more.

The Dandelion Schools Growing Initiative is delivered in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, a charity providing education initiatives for children, young people and educators that focus on environmental issues.

Visit the Schools Initiative microsite 
School children touching and looking at plants inside a grow cube
Two children holding up vegetables behind a growing cube in an urban landscape
School children touching plants inside a grow cube
School children pointing and looking at plants inside a grow cube

Discover more programmes

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rowing cube containing plants situated in a cave, the lighting is moody and there are native and wild growing plants in the foreground.

Cubes of Perpetual Light

Our glowing, growing cubes were seen by 96,000 people on their journey across Scotland.

A group of people outdoors in front of a brick building sitting and standing holding gardening tools

Unexpected Gardens

Dandelion’s Unexpected Gardens sprang up all across Scotland.

Graphic Image with text reading 'Dandelion Festivals'

Dandelion Festivals

Two free festivals in Glasgow and Inverness bookended the summer featuring live music, performance, talks, workshops, science and plant giveaways.

Five people in a garden are smiling at the camera. There is a wildflower patch behind them and a wheelbarrow holding produce from the garden in the foreground. The people are smiling and holding different objects: a rake, a pitchfork, weeder, guitar and a super-8 film camera.

Harvest

Dandelion culminated in in over 500 events as part of the largest-ever creative celebration of Harvest staged across Scotland.

A person walking outdoors in a grassy field with a stone cottage ruin in the background

Heisgeir - Film

Our story began with our launch film in April 2022 – not in the city, a town or even a farm, but on a tiny island in the very far north-west of Scotland.

Three performers in brightly coloured clothing pose in a field.

Free for Alls

80,000 free plants were given away by our towering Flower Singer, so that absolutely anyone could give growing a go.

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