Trinity’s Green Patch gains international recognition
Mrs Melinda Bargwanna, Specialist Environmentalist Educator at Trinity’s Junior School, has been recognised by the International Boys’ School Coalition for her Action Research project, presented at the 2025 IBSC Conference.
Selected to participate in the IBSC Action Research cohort for 2024-2025 which focuses on the theme of Boys and Belonging: Facilitating Inclusivity, Diversity, and Connectedness, Mrs Bargwanna’s research project focuses on the Green Patch Lunchtime Club held at the Junior School and is titled Cultivating Connections: Junior School Boys Co-Creating Green Spaces for Wellbeing.
Since the 2024 IBSC conference, held in London, Mrs Bargwanna has been diligently collecting data on the boys’ interaction with the Green Patch environment and how the boys learn to cherish the earth and practice mindfulness through the co-design and construction of a biodiversity frog pond.
Amidst a suite of benefits reported as her outcomes, Mrs Bargwanna noted that the boys adopted a caretaker role as their sense of responsibility for and connection with the pond, and its environment grew. The boys’ connections with each other also blossomed as the pond project cultivated new friendships in a fresh collaborative context.
At this year’s conference, hosted by Belmont Hill School in Massachusetts, U.S.A, Mrs Bargwanna presented her findings and received the IBSC Action Research Award for 2025.
The award considers three main criteria:
- Quality of project
- Quality of final report
- Participation in the project
Writing to congratulate Mrs Bargwanna on her achievement, Mr Tom Batty (IBSC Executive Director), said “through the rigorous conduct of your action research and the articulate communication of its processes and findings in a well-written report, your research highlights the wonder for all in building a biodiversity pond with older Junior School boys and the irresistible draw of belonging and connection – to each other and to land and to all that it supports.
“You involved the boys from the earliest steps of project development and, by giving them a determining voice in its direction, you creatively and irresistibly touched their innate sense for connection to Country and its centrality to their relationships with themselves, all they observe and those they observe it with.
“Your report is very-well written with a comprehensive review of relevant literature, thoughtful presentation of findings, and excellent discussion of those findings. And the frogs came!
Ms Di Laycock – Co-ordinator of the IBSC Action Research Program – echoed his sentiments at the presentation of the award, saying that Mrs Bargwanna epitomises everything the program stands for: a passion for teaching boys, a concern for the future of boys’ education, and a drive to reflect on and improve her practice.
“Melinda’s research project demonstrates the power of action research to identify the potential of change at the local level, and to support implementation of that change through rigorous and systematic research. Furthermore, her research findings illustrate tha ability of a well-researched change in teachers’ pedagogy to positively impact teaching and learning on the wellbeing of boys in our schools.”
Mrs Bargwanna says that receiving the award is an honour and the icing on the cake of a great research experience.
In her acceptance speech, she said: “It has been the most challenging and rewarding experience in my professional life. Along the way, I’ve grown as an educator, deepened my connection with the boys I teach, and helped create a wonderful resource for Junior School – a biodiversity pond that has become a cherished space of rest, play, and regeneration.
Speaking of the whole research experience, Mrs Bargwanna says Trinity’s support has been integral at every stage and she is immensely grateful for the support of her mentor, Dr Kimberley Pressick-Kilbourn, Head of Research and Professional Growth.
“I am so grateful for the belief that Trinity had in me to bring the Green Patch Initiative to our Junior School boys, to sow into their future. In a world where our consumer habits are depleting the Earth faster than it can recover, Trinity’s insight in creating opportunities for students to build a mutually enhancing relationship with the planet is both timely and essential.
“What an incredible way for the world of boys’ education to see the impact that it has had on our students. It’s a very special opportunity to have shared through this IBSC Action Research program.”
