Education that inspires a healthier, more sustainable world.
Routes & Shoots is the educational arm of Farm Urban; we seek to combine cutting-edge, sustainable farming practices with an innovative educational offering.
Our Learning Programmes
Future Food Heroes
An eight-week STEAM programme for year 5.
Pupils grow crops in their classroom, using Farm Urban’s mini vertical farm and mushroom growing kits, whilst learning about the UK food system and how vertical farming has the potential to make food growing accessible and sustainable for everyone.
Our Learning Programmes
Future Food Challenge
A 12-week lunchtime or after-school extracurricular enterprise competition for year 9 pupils.
During the Challenge, pupils develop STEAM skills via the development of a socially conscious business structure; building a brand, design and prototype of a vertical farming system based on their own ideas and market research.
Community Growing Project
A 6 week course for adults
A programme for adults to build confidence in growing food at home, reduce isolation by building community, improve food choices and improve wellbeing through reconnection with food.
Workshops (All Ages)
Hands on half day workshops at our HQ or onsite at your location.
Choose from our Nature workshop, where you will set up the incredible BioScape biodiversity pods or Aquaponics workshop where you will assemble a mini vertical farm without any instructions.
The Impact of Routes
& Shoots
50,542
Learners
Reached
76
Schools
Involved
106
Programmes
Run
“ students’ eyes were opened to new ideas, skills and possible futures.”
Funders & Supporters
Trusted by leading partners
Our Programmes shift attitudes, build confidence and inspire positive behavioural change around food, health and the environment.
How It Works for Schools
Simple onboarding.
Full support.
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Future Food Heroes links directly to science, geography, food technology and sustainability outcomes, reducing planning time while enriching classroom learning.
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Practical growing activities and real-world challenges increase participation, curiosity and classroom focus, particularly for learners who struggle with traditional teaching methods.
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Teachers are supported with clear guidance and accessible content, making complex topics like climate, nutrition and food systems easier to deliver with confidence.
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Growing and collaborative activities encourage teamwork, responsibility and pride, contributing to improved wellbeing and a calmer, more connected learning environment.
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Pupils see how their actions relate to health, community and the environment, helping teachers deliver meaningful education that goes beyond the classroom and inspires long-term behaviour change.
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Participants gain hands-on experience in growing fresh food using accessible, low-tech and high-impact systems, helping adults feel confident growing food at home or in community settings.
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Regular sessions provide routine, purpose and social connection, supporting mental wellbeing and helping reduce loneliness through shared activity and conversation.
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By growing and harvesting their own produce, participants develop a stronger connection to food, increasing willingness to try fresh ingredients and make healthier dietary choices.
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The project offers opportunities to build transferable skills, progress into volunteering roles or explore pathways into green jobs, food growing and community work.
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Community Grow Project brings people together around a shared resource, helping participants feel ownership over local food systems while building pride, trust and long-term community resilience.
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The Future Food Challenge uses real-world problems to bring curriculum topics to life, encouraging critical thinking, creativity and problem-solving across science, geography and design subjects.
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Teachers can integrate the programme across multiple subjects, helping pupils make connections between food, climate, health and technology without adding pressure to the timetable.
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The challenge develops teamwork, communication, systems thinking and innovation skills, supporting teachers in preparing pupils for future careers linked to sustainability and food systems.
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By giving students agency to design solutions and present ideas to real world problems, the programme increases confidence, participation and belief in students abilities to make a difference.
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Teachers can demonstrate how classroom learning connects to global challenges and local action, reinforcing the relevance of education to life beyond school.
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Participants gain a clear understanding of sustainable food growing through doing, leaving with knowledge and skills they can apply straight away at home, school or in their community.
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The workshops are designed to spark curiosity and confidence quickly, making them ideal for one-off events, inset days, community sessions or corporate team building or away days.
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Complex ideas around food, climate and health are made simple and approachable, allowing people of all backgrounds to engage without prior knowledge.
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Working together on practical tasks encourages conversation, collaboration and a sense of achievement, contributing to positive wellbeing outcomes.
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Workshops can be tailored for schools, adults, community groups or workplaces, making them a versatile entry point into Farm Urban’s wider education and engagement programmes.
How It Works for Schools