Recognized Healthy School activity
GrowWizzKid is a recognized Healthy School activity. The teaching method for primary and secondary education allows students to work independently with innovations relating to the origins of healthy food. They are challenged to explore the boundaries of what seems impossible in order to devise solutions for a sustainable world. GrowWizzKid can completely replace existing science and technology teaching methods, and the lessons can be easily linked to social studies subjects or existing teaching methods, depending on the school's vision. GrowWizzKid can provide support during implementation. Schools that get started always receive an inspiring introductory workshop for the entire team.
Growing and inquiry-based learning with an innovative indoor cultivation system in secondary education.
Food, innovative technology and experience
GrowWizzKid is a ‘food education program’ combined with science and technology, with which students can work in a practical way. It is a means of teaching children food literacy from an early age. They get to work growing healthy food themselves under the guidance of their teacher or instructor. The method stimulates curiosity and generates enthusiasm, including among teachers and even parents and caregivers.
For many people, food is taken for granted. By placing responsibility for production in the hands of young people, food can take on a different meaning. They become more aware of the need to use innovative technology in order to guarantee food production for the future. Through an inquiry-based form of learning, students are given the opportunity to form or revise their opinions.
Future-oriented
GrowWizzKid is a continuous learning pathway that uses its up-to-date digital teaching method to inspire wonder in every student profile. It encourages innovation, creativity, collaboration, perseverance and a healthy lifestyle. These are precisely the skills that tomorrow's society and today's students need. Asking open questions about current and engaging topics is especially infectious. For example, what do astronauts eat in space? And what do sailors eat when they are at sea for days or weeks? Can you produce healthy food at sea, on your ship? What is the best food for staying alert and fit? Is there also food that helps you concentrate better?
It is important that students learn to make choices from a sustainable perspective. This begins with the origins of healthy food. Healthy food affects health and well-being. But how sustainable is the origin of (healthy) food? From this perspective, the Sustainable Development Goals are addressed in GrowWizzKid.
Developing an innovative food product in secondary education.
Meaningful to yourself and your immediate surroundings
Research has shown that ownership is one of the most important factors in getting people to take action. Jaap Seidell, professor of nutrition and health: “GrowWizzKid does not make eating vegetables a matter of pressure and coercion, as is often the case at home, but teaches children in a playful way to make healthy food something enjoyable. They will benefit from that for the rest of their lives.” Louise de Pauw, teacher at SBO Het Pluspunt, Oud-Beijerland, is also enthusiastic about GrowWizzKid: “In addition to learning about the importance of healthy food, it has something wonderfully surprising about it, which I had not expected beforehand to work so well.”
With the indoor cultivation system, students produce food themselves. They can eat this food or use it for practical assignments, such as preparing nutritional advice for an athlete, pregnant woman, older person or younger person, or someone with an illness. They discover which dietary pattern can be recommended and why. They then consider how to ensure that the other person is receptive to accepting and following the advice. Other problem statements include: Can you change the composition of the food during cultivation, in what way and with what effect? What does a different cultivation technique mean for the crop, people and the environment? Independently formulating a research question and meaningful inquiry-based learning are central to the teaching concept and serve as a common thread throughout.
For more information, visit www.growwizzkid.nl. Or email [email protected].