As our students explore the opportunities to grow food both indoors and outdoors - their teachers are learning right along with them!
North Side Community School has partnered with Mathews-Dickey Boys and Girls Club to implement Green Machine - an aeroponic gardening and science class - at our elementary and middle schools.
The Green Machine program was started in the Bronx in New York by Stephen Ritz, a South Bronx educator who believes that students shouldn’t have to leave their community to live, learn, and earn in a better one. Stephen’s extended student and community family have grown more than 100,000 pounds of vegetables in the Bronx while generating extraordinary academic performance!
Through this program, our 2nd grade students are currently growing Romaine and other types of lettuce in our indoor gardening towers. In our outdoor garden, they are growing radishes, lettuce, two types of squash, beets, and rainbow chard.
Thank you to Mr. Ritz, who had a meet and greet dinner with our teachers when he was in town last week! It was a great opportunity to connect with other St. Louis educators as we continue to grow healthy eaters and the scientists and farmers of the future. Back at school, the students are looking for ways to share their harvest. They have interviewed Chef Darrius and were excited to learn that he can incorporate their lettuce and herbs into their lunches.