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Current Partner School Chancellor’s Day PD
Current school partners – join us for our final full-day NY Sun Works professional learning session of the school year! For the third year in a row, we are rounding out the year with a round table discussion and share-outs of best practices from exemplary teachers. There will be opportunities to hear from veteran NYSW teachers, connect with one another, share ideas, and brainstorm for future activities and practices for your Hydroponic Classrooms.
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How Farmer Scientists are Changing Their Worlds: Earth Month & the 13th Annual Youth Conference
Spending time learning in a NY Sun Works Hydroponic Classroom is about more than just growing plants at school. For students whose lives have consisted primarily of concrete and pavement, nurturing the growth of a living thing is a far cry from their everyday experiences. Green space has become an increasingly important topic of discussion for city planners and leaders, but this is primarily in reference to parks and other outdoor areas. We dare to ask, what about indoor green spaces too?
This month is Earth Month, and as we take time to recognize the many initiatives and advancements made in recent years toward stewarding the Earth, we feel it’s equally important to revisit the time-tested wisdom that every month should be Earth Month. This alliterative proverb is certainly a handy social media tagline, but we believe it can also be so much more. It’s an energizing call to action that reminds us of one sustainability’s core tenets: that truly meaningful climate action must be undertaken using a long-term approach. It’s easy to evoke environmentally-friendly energy for a specific month, but to see what it really means to live sustainably, we look to the Farmer Scientists in our classrooms for inspiration.
For students who adopt the mantle of Farmer Scientists, these classrooms are an oasis of project-based learning, where they can experience firsthand how their actions influence the world around them. A forgetful moment can result in wilted leaves and wasted efforts, directly exposing students to the fact that diligence and consistency are the key to a bountiful harvest. In these inspiring moments of hands-on education, students in our Hydroponic Classrooms build environmentally-friendly habits that they can carry with them as they walk out the door each day.
From forming a deeper appreciation for the fruits and veggies their parents prepare at home, to paying closer attention to just how much water they waste, there’s a lesson to be learned in every harvest. To that end, we’ve created our Discovering Sustainability Science curriculum to support students as they embark on journeys of environmental stewardship. But our goal isn’t just to improve students’ science test scores, it’s also to make them aware that not only is nature all around us, we’re part of it, too. Young people have been levied with the responsibility of facing a climate-altered future, and it’s up to us to provide the opportunities and education they’ll need to not only survive, but thrive.
Through climate education, families around the city are enjoying regular harvests of fresh hydroponically-grown produce, and learning about the importance of subjects like growing produce locally rather than accruing food miles from afar. In celebration of the hard work our Farmer Scientists have been doing, we’re gathering over 900 students from across NYC at the iconic Javits Center for our Annual Youth Conference on May 23rd. Showcasing the efforts of students to learn, grow, and flourish alongside plants in their classrooms reinforces the importance of these sustainable practices, and gives them an opportunity to shine like they so deserve. And in honor of Earth Month, we encourage everyone, New Yorkers and beyond, to make small and sustainable changes to their everyday routines. Let’s cherish the Earth that has given us life, and provide the sustainable future our young people truly deserve.
For more information about the 2024 Youth Conference, please visit our website.
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Queens Chronicle: BP Richards Pushes for Hydroponics Labs
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Daily Eagle: Borough President Set to Announce $2.3 Million for Hydroponics Labs in Queens
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The Harvard Business School Club of NY at the High School for Climate Justice
This month, we were joined by an exciting group of guests from our long-time partners at the Harvard Business School Club of NY (HBSCNY) for a tour of the Hydroponic Classroom at the High School for Climate Justice! Joined by representatives on our Board of Directors, and guided by students at the Manhattan high school, members of the HBSCNY were able to get a closer look at the cutting edge urban farming technology that powers our partner schools’ Hydroponic Classrooms, and explore how students have been growing crops from seed to harvest and diving deeper into sustainability science.
The lab’s various systems were looking beautiful and lush, a testament to the hard work of students who have truly immersed themselves in the role of Farmer Scientists. As part of the tour, guests were able to join in on a hydroponic harvest, helping students pick leafy greens and fresh veggies from the vine. They were also collecting beautiful, bright orange marigold petals to dehydrate and use in salads! Afterwards, students and guests prepared a healthy snack from the harvest, with some even choosing to bag up their green goodies and take them home! Of course, after every harvest comes the sowing of new seeds, so together, attendees planted the next harvest in rockwool before departing for the evening.
We are proud to have had the support of the HBSCNY for the past several years, as a recipient of the HBSCNY Gold Leadership Award, and recent participants in their Community Partner Leadership Award program. We are thankful to have wonderful partner organizations and schools alike who are excited to get to work in the hydroponic classroom, reinvigorating their passion for STEM and climate education.
Thank you once again to all the members of HBSCNY who joined us at the High School for Climate Justice, as well as to the students who displayed their mastery over urban farming and passion for hands-on learning. We’re incredibly grateful to partner with organizations who understand the urgency of our mission, and the importance of providing meaningful climate education opportunities to the next generation of New Yorkers. Change starts in the classroom, and we can’t imagine a better way to rekindle the joy of learning than surrounding young people with supportive leaders who are willing to show up with feet on the ground to make it happen. Together, we can bring nature and quality education into every NYC classroom!
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QNS: Richmond Hill High School Launches Hydroponic Classroom and Cultivates Sustainability Education
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CBS NEWS: NY Sun Works Helps Communities Across New York City Study Climate Change
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News12: Students Present Hydroponic Research Projects at the Annual Bronx STEAM Expo
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Celebrating Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month, an occasion that honors the achievements and contributions women have made throughout America’s history, breaking barriers, fighting for equality, and innovating to build a better future. At NY Sun Works, we are proud that 60% of our team are women, who spearhead our strategy, programming, teacher training, events, and more. In the classroom, women also lead the way, with both city-wide and national averages trending toward 75%* of in-school educators identifying as women. We believe a sustainable future starts in the classroom, and want to celebrate both the women on our team and those at the many school partners we work with who are helping us equip students with the tools to tackle the most pressing issue of our time: climate change.
However, systemic discrimination persists, which is why it’s so important to discuss topics like this. To our dismay, women continue to be discouraged from pursuing educational opportunities and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Today, women represent only 35%** of the STEM workforce. And although there has been an increase in female participation in STEM over the past two decades; Latinx, Black, and Indigenous women remain wildly underrepresented, at less than 10%** of the STEM workforce. In order to create a more sustainable future, our top priority is providing communities in all areas of the city with equitable access to high-quality climate and STEM education.
To that end, we are committed to building a generation of Farmer Scientists emboldened to create solutions to climate challenges, and changing the narrative for young women and girls when it comes to science-related careers. In our Hydroponic Classrooms, students of all genders can find the resources, tools, and confidence to pursue higher education in STEM. By learning through farming, students are encouraged to get excited, invest in their education, and consider a future where they are climate scientists, activists, and leaders. Many of our current students have already felt the empowering effects of hands-on learning, excelling in their investigative research projects and taking on stewardship roles in their local communities.
As we grow alongside school partners across the city, we’re excited to also continue uplifting girls and young women as they confidently explore the wonderful world of climate and sustainability science. Through growing plants in the classroom, we’re connecting students with the growing world of green careers, breaking down barriers for students who are passionate about the health of our planet. Together, we can create a greener, more inclusive, and ever-more sustainable future for NYC.
*Merrill, L., Kang, D. 2017. “What is the Gender Breakdown of NYC Teachers?” Spotlight on NYC Schools. Research Alliance for New York City Schools.
https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/research-alliance/research/spotlight-nyc-schools/what-gender-breakdown-nyc-teachers#:~:text=Women%20made%20up%2074.6%25%20of,from%2025.4%25%20to%2023.4%25.
**NGCP, March 2024, The State of Girls in STEM.
https://ngcproject.org/sites/default/files/downloadables/2024-02/NGCP-TheStateofGirlsinSTEM-March2024.pdf
