Girls who Grow

Girls who Grow is on a mission to engage the next generation of educated female change makers, leaders and environmental guardians towards climate positive farming and agriculture to ensure prosperous food systems for New Zealand.

We have grown over the last few years from our first inception at Lake Hawea Station in November 2021, completing the GovTech accelerator with CreativeHQ presenting at the Beehive in December 2022, our pilot program in schools in Otago in 2023 and 2024 and this year launching across Wellington, Wairarapa, Kapiti Coast and Horowhenua.

Our program is structured in 4 stages. 

- Imagination Centred Workshops to spark female college students imagination to get creative about a future they would be proud of.
- Imagination Challenges working through a design thinking framework to design solutions for regional environmental and climate issues relating to the land.
- On farm lunch and learn experiences to experience local farms, market gardens, nurseries, vineyards and orchards which are lead by regenerative philosophies and principles.
- 12 month group mentorship to develop regional environmental and climate solutions and projects.

Behind Girls who Grow is Catherine van der Meulen, founder of Entrepreneurial Women with Purpose and Board member of UN Women Aotearoa NZ and Aimee Blake, Lincoln University masters graduate and co-,chair of Future Farmers NZ.