GARDENS was designed as a 24-months cooperation partnership with the aim of strengthening the role of schools in promoting healthy and sustainable lifestyles. The project aimed to improve students’ awareness, knowledge, and behaviours related to nutrition impact and food sustainability, while equipping educators with innovative and effective teaching tools. As per the specific project objectives, these included: • O1: to empower the education about healthy nutrition habits in schools; • O2: to enhance teaching of environmental impact of food practices in schools; • O3: to validate a hybrid digital educational methodology to support educators and produce high-quality learning outcomes.
The GARDENS project addressed the issue of low food literacy impact, working on the link between dietary habits, public health challenges and environmental sustainability, especially in younger generations. In this regard, GARDENS aimed at responding to the need for structured, evidence-based approaches to health promotion in schools, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Ottawa Charter, and the Schools for Health in Europe framework. As evidence shows, many European students lack adequate nutrition knowledge, contributing to a compromised state of health and encouraging the spread of eating habits with a high impact on the environment. Key gaps include limited curricular focus on nutrition, insufficient teacher training, inadequate resources, lack of practical skill development, and cultural barriers. Also, education about nutrition rarely addresses environmental sustainability, missing the opportunity to link the topical health and environmental impact. GARDENS was designed to fill these gaps through an integrated approach for a dual impact: educating students and preparing teachers, while indirectly influencing family habits and community awareness.