PS 9 Lab Dedication in Honor of Beloved Teacher

December 15, 2021

On December 7th, NY Sun Works joined students, teachers, and local community members at P.S. 9 in Brooklyn for their official ribbon-cutting ceremony and the first harvest of their hydroponic farm-classroom. The classroom was made possible by Participatory Budgeting funding from City Council Member Laurie Cumbo, and is named after Sandra Santos-Vizcaino, the beloved science teacher who sadly passed away from complications due to Covid last March.  

Principal Ali started by giving a heart-felt welcome to Ms. Santos-Vizcaino’s family, saying, “Your mother, sister, daughter and friend touched so many hearts and this lab will forever hold her spirit and her passion for science and for students. We’re so blessed to be able to share this space with you and to celebrate this with you. You have an open invitation, this is your home.” 

Second grade students Roman and Jane shared their experiences in the new lab. “I’ve learned that you can use nutrients to grow plants and put them in ‘fake’ soil to make real soil! I’m most excited about tasting the strawberries when they are ready in the next few weeks!”

The last activity of the day was harvesting. NY Sun Works staff led a tasting for all the guests and students. Some of the produce harvested was purple kale, lettuce, basil, and spearmint. Students loved the tasting and many came up for seconds and thirds – one of them even exclaimed, “This is SO good!”