St. Johns Grammar named best SHS at 2025 school farm awards

St. John’s Grammar Senior High School from the Greater Accra Region has been adjudged the overall best senior high school at the 2025 School Farm Awards, organized by Kosmos Innovation Centre (KIC) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and Blue Skies Foundation.

In the junior high school category, Gbulahagu D/A Junior High School took the top honour at the awards event held in Kumasi.

With the theme “Rethinking Agriculture – Growing Young Minds to Feed Ghana’s Future,” this year’s competition aimed to change how young Ghanaians view agriculture not as a laborious chore, but as a profitable, STEM-driven enterprise.

Participating schools were provided with seeds, fertilizers, basic tools, and expert mentorship, and tasked not only with growing vegetables but also with developing viable business plans.

This year saw participation from over 629 schools across all 16 regions, up from about 450 in 2024, highlighting the growing enthusiasm among Ghanaian youth for agribusiness.

Board Chairman of KIC, Nana Joe Mensah, described the School Farm program as one of Ghana’s “most transformative youth initiatives,” noting the collaboration between government, private sector, and schools in fostering practical education, leadership, and sustainability.

According to KIC, judging went beyond crop yield. Schools were assessed on consistent good farming practices, innovation in cultivation, and the strength of their business plans, with the aim of turning school farms into sustainable, income-generating enterprises.

David, a student of Gbulahagu D/A JHS, urged his peers to embrace agriculture. “I encourage all my colleagues and the youth to take agriculture seriously and learn the skills involved because it is very important,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohammed Abdul-Rashid, a teacher and award recipient, reflected on the challenges behind their recognition. “It hasn’t been an easy journey, but with encouragement from our fellow teachers and students, we have been able to achieve this great reward,” he noted, appealing to educators and young people to view agriculture not merely as a school subject, but as “a solution” to many community challenges.

The event brought together students, teachers, government officials, and development partners to celebrate innovation, enterprise, and youth-led solutions in agriculture.