Lower School Science Teacher Receives Loveday Endowment Foundation Grant
The Teacher Services Committee of GISA recently awarded a $1000 grant to Wesleyan lower school science teacher Sara Cooper from the Loveday Endowment Foundation. Cooper submitted a proposal earlier this fall to receive grant money for a project to install aeroponics units in a classroom. Aeroponics is a plant-cultivation technique where the roots are suspended in the air while being sprayed with a nutrient-rich mist.
Currently, the lower school has outside aeroponic units that are used at various levels of the elementary science program and serve multiple curricular purposes. First graders currently plant seeds for the aeroponic units in conjunction with their study of plant life cycles. Fourth grade has specifically benefited from the aeroponic units by providing opportunities to help maintain the devices. Fourth graders also design and carry out an experiment each year to help learn the scientific process.
In previous years, the units were used to grow kale that has been harvested by students and served by our cafeteria. Aeroponic unit food production was able to provide kale for all students in grades K-4 for at least one day when kale was on the menu.
The new unit will include everything needed to grow plants indoors, including appropriate grow lights for the unit. This will allow further food production, additional opportunities for children in grades K-4 to experience the life cycle of a plant, and increased options for 4th grade plant-based research studies.
“We have had aeroponic units (Tower Gardens) in the lower school for a few years.”, said Cooper. “However, I wanted to compare growing food indoors to outdoors, and this new unit will be equipped with grow lights that will allow for plants to be grown indoors. Applying and receiving this grant is a wonderful opportunity to expand the Tower Garden program.”
