Who Are We?
Ki te mea ka taka te kākano ki te wāhi e tika ana ka tinaku, ā, ka pihi ake he tipu hou.
If a seed falls in the right place it will germinate and a new seedling will sprout.
About PiPS
PiPS was formed in 2016 by a group of school parents in the Pāpāmoa Beach/Mt Maunganui area of Aotearoa New Zealand, who are passionate about demonstrating to their children and their families the principles of kaitiakitanga: respect and care for the environment, as well as an understanding of how to grow their own food.
Our Work In Schools
Growing knowledge, community and kai
At PiPS, we believe school gardens are one of the most powerful ways to bring values like kaitiakitanga, collaboration, and sustainability to life. When tamariki get involved in growing, harvesting, cooking, and sharing kai, they’re not just learning practical skills — they’re learning to connect, cooperate, and care for the whenua and each other.
But while the benefits are clear, the reality is that sustaining a school garden can place a heavy burden on teachers, school leaders, and parent volunteers. Enthusiasm can fade, key supporters may move on, and challenges often arise that schools simply don’t have the time or resources to tackle on their own.
That’s why we created PiPS — a collaborative, inter-school initiative designed to make school gardens thrive long term. By employing skilled, part-time garden facilitators who work across our member schools, PiPS takes the pressure off individual schools while ensuring their garden programmes are supported, consistent, and deeply enriching for tamariki, kaiako, and the wider community.
Our Facilitators
By the community, for the community
How our facilitators support schools:
At PiPS, our facilitators play a vital role in helping school gardens thrive. They work closely with school management, teachers, volunteers, and supporters to coordinate each school’s garden programme. This includes providing structure, organisation, resources, and practical materials to keep things running smoothly.
Facilitators support the integration of environment-based learning into classrooms by collaborating with teachers and aligning garden projects with the curriculum. They offer advice, ideas, and hands-on help to ensure that the garden becomes a living, learning space for tamariki.
Continuity is a key part of our kaupapa. Facilitators ensure that school gardens remain functional and well-managed even when staff or volunteers change. They act as a central hub of knowledge, linking PiPS schools together so information, ideas, and inspiration can be shared across the network.
Beyond the classroom, facilitators help build connections between schools and the wider community. Through gardening and environmental projects, they encourage whānau involvement and strengthen local engagement.
Every school is unique, and our facilitators honour that. They work within each school’s chosen learning framework and support the projects that matter most to their community, from composting and kai-growing to biodiversity and sustainability.
How it’s all funded:
Facilitator wages are partly funded by our member schools and partly through grants, sponsorships, and fundraising led by PiPS. We also rely on generous support from local businesses, individuals, and funders to build and maintain our school gardens and provide essential equipment.
Our Member Schools 2025
Growing with our schools
We’re proud to partner with a growing network of schools across Tauranga, Pāpāmoa, and the Bay of Plenty. Each school brings its own flavour, creativity, and commitment to nurturing tamariki through hands-on gardening and environmental learning.
Our facilitators work alongside these amazing kura to bring sustainability, food growing, and kaitiakitanga to life, right in the school grounds. Together, we’re cultivating future-focused learners, thriving school gardens, and stronger communities.
