As many as 2,000 children will take part in events for the President's Secret Garden 2018, which this year is venturing beyond San Anton Palace grounds. 

This year's event is themed around peacebuilding, with students encouraged to become agents of change within their own environment. 

More than 1,000 children will be taking part in events which began this week on palace grounds, while another 1,000 are expected to participate in the two-hour sessions that will be held in schools from next month.

Since its inception in 2014, more than 4,500 children have taken part in the project and for the first time the President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society has decided to also export the concept to schools.

This year, the events are intended to expose children to those who are contributing to peacebuilding, from MEPs to older and younger heroes, NGOs and educators.

During the closing ceremony of the President’s Secret Garden in May, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca will be presenting the Ambassador of Peacebuilding Declaration in the presence of all those who took part, including the MEPs.

“The President’s Foundation for the Wellbeing of Society believes that children and young people are experts on childhood. Children have vibrant and energetic attitudes towards life which produce brilliant ideas. Their ideas need to be listened to along with those of adults,” Ms Caruana said.