National school garden awards honour 56 institutions at Spanish Town exhibition

Fifty-six schools from across Jamaica gathered at José Marty Technical High School in Spanish Town, St. Catherine, on Thursday, 18 June 2026, for the National School Garden Grand Exhibition and Awards Ceremony under the theme “From the Farm to the Table.”

The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information staged the national event to recognise school gardens from phases two and three of the National School Garden Project, alongside 11 phase-one schools that have sustained their plots. Deputy Chief Education Officer Mrs Winnie Berry, representing Permanent Secretary Dr Kesson Troop, told the audience that the initiative began in 2024 with 23 schools and a J$10 million investment and has since expanded to 79 institutions spanning early childhood, primary, special education and secondary levels.

Regional Director for Region Six Mrs Sophia Forbes Hall said the project links food security, nutrition, environmental care and self-reliance, while giving students hands-on experience in container gardening, hydroponics, crop production, poultry rearing and beekeeping.

Chief adjudicator Dr Olivine Evans said more than 70 judges assessed gardens on site between May and 10 June, reviewing community involvement, garden quality, environmental stewardship and curriculum links. Displays and creative dishes prepared from school produce were judged separately for visual appeal, originality, nutritional balance and culinary quality.

Among the top honours, Linton Park Primary in Region Three was named overall champion for phase-two schools, with Windsor School of Special Education, Region Six, placing second and York High, Region Six, third. For phase three, Charlton Infant, Region Three, took first place overall, followed by Rosebank Center of Excellence, Region Two, and Windsor School of Special Education, Region Seven, in third.

Region Six was judged the most outstanding region for phase two, while Region Three topped phase three. St Thomas Technical High won best school garden among phase-two secondary schools, and Cedric Titus High took the equivalent award in phase three.

Partners including the Heart Foundation of Jamaica, Sagicor Group Jamaica, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and Wellness supported the programme. Mrs Dillette Hope Webb, director of the school feeding programme, closed proceedings by urging schools to keep growing what they eat and eating what they grow.