Froebel College of Education rooftop garden

B.Ed 2nd year students planting in the Froebel College of Education rooftop garden
Wednesday, October 11, 2017 - 09:15

As part of the transfer of Froebel College of Education to the Maynooth University campus as the Froebel Department of Primary & Early Childhood Education (2013) it was agreed that a model school garden would be incorporated into the new School of Education building (2016).

Friedrich Froebel was a renowned educationalist in Germany in the 19th century. He advocated children learning through activity and first-hand experience. He was the first to see the value of PLAY as an integral part of a child’s development. He believed children should be in communion with nature, learn through exploring their immediate environment and become active agents in their own learning. He instigated the idea of the KINDERGARTEN as part of his schools – a garden in which the children would grow, tend and harvest plants as Kindergartners.

Many schools in Ireland now have a school garden in which children in different classes take on different responsibilities. Froebel student teachers are in charge of this model school garden and hopefully they will build the confidence to involve children in gardening in their future schools.

This initiative is supported by Maynooth Green Campus and by a grant from Kildare County Council.

The pictures below show Froebel B.Ed students planting winter vegetables.