Julie DeLuca, Jackie McMahon, Cinzia Bibb and Brooke Ross

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Hawks Harvest: Advancing Hydroponic Education at Thorntons Ferry Elementary School,” is a hydroponic gardening project that has been embedded in the school’s culture for more than a year with the purchase and donation of several Flex Farm hydroponic systems from Fork Farms. It has provided a hands-on, sustainable learning experience for students at Thorntons Ferry Elementary. Fresh produce from the Flex Farms is featured in “Try It Tuesdays,” a creative way of encouraging students to explore healthy foods. School nurses lead lessons on hydroponics, gardening and nutrition, and last year, school-wide assemblies from Fork Farms deepened student engagement. The school’s Gardening Club, led by third-grade students, collaborates with school nurses to maintain the systems. The Voya grant will help cover some expenses to expand the gardens, increase vegetable variety, and introduce outdoor gardening. The team of educators believe integrating hydroponics with STEAM and the Artist in Residence program fosters hands-on learning, sustainability and lifelong healthy habits.