A UNIQUE partnership between Patterson River Secondary College at Carrum, the City of Kingston and South Pacific Seeds has won the school the Victorian Science and Mathematics Education Award.

Education Minister Bronwyn Pike presented the $10,000 inaugural award at the Melbourne Museum last Thursday.

Ms Pike said the partnership with the council had allowed students to work with native plants grown from local seeds at the council's Bonbeach nursery (The Independent, 10/8/10).

When the plants become seedlings they are transplanted to the school's outdoor learning area and will later be planted in appropriate locations such as on the foreshore, wetlands or along waterways.

The school is working with scientists from South Pacific Seeds to determine the most suitable vegetable varieties to grow in the Australian climate by using scientific formulas to make their conclusions.

The year 9 students are carrying out the work as part of the curriculum's Learning4Life program headed by manager Daniel Dew.

The program involves making connections with the wider community.

Mr Dew said the money from the award would be used to buy equipment for the outdoor learning area.