“It’s just a school garden.”
January 7, 2026
It’s just a school garden. We We hear that phrase more often than you might expect. Sometimes it’s said kindly.
the oke charity
What we are doing
For a lot of kids, school just doesn’t work.
Four walls. Sitting still. Disengaged.
Oke changes that.
We build outdoor classrooms with schools and communities, giving kids the space to learn by doing, connect with others, and grow real confidence.
Because when you give kids the right environment, everything changes.
facts
We’ve funded and built
76
outdoor classroom builds in Auckland and beyond so far...
0
kids have had access to the Outdoor Classrooms
0
+
Volunteer hours to build these outdoor classrooms
0
kg
of produce grown each year across our outdoor classrooms
The Social and Health Benefits of Gardens in Schools
February 1, 2020
“We’re looking for a project which will bring our community together and we thought OKE could help achieve this with
Donate
Help us grow mighty kids by donating a small amount
$15 Seed Starter – helps to purchase seed packets for one outdoor classroom
$30 Growing Crew – buys one fruit tree for an outdoor classroom
$50 Pollinator Partner – provides seedlings for an outdoor classroom
$150 Harvest Hero – provides one wheelbarrow for an outdoor classroom.
$250 Garden Guardian – provides one raised bed for a school garden
$500 Bench Builder – provides a friendship bench for a garden
$1,500 Garden Champion – provides a tool shed for one school garden
$4,000 Growth Maker – provides all raised beds for one school garden
$20,000 Golden Good-Egg – funds an entire outdoor classroom build for one school!
It was awesome to see the transformation of the garden, and it happened so quickly too. There was a really friendly atmosphere on site, and the helpers did a fantastic job, and went above and beyond! A special thanks to the Trade school for moving the seed planting station too!
Kathryn Franklin / Classroom TeacherPuhinui School 
The work that was accomplished today is unbelievable and we are a very lucky school. We are going to work hard to develop a sustainable plan going forward. Already lots of staff are raving at what was accomplished and how our kids had so much fun and that we need to do it more.
Saane Faaofo Oldehaver / PrincipalWeymouth Primary School 
