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Belfast Central School BELFAST CENTRAL SCHOOL ABOUT THE PROGRAM In 2005, teacher Josh Hazelton introduced small-scale hydroponics and aquaponics to the classroom after the Belfast School administration wanted to develop a new science elective course . This new class gained exceptional student interest, and in 2008 the school provided Hazelton funds to expand his these projects. Soon after, this course was renamed Aquaponics & Hydroponics, though it still includes other green topics such as renewable energy. Every development in the class has been student-driven, meaning that all projects are designed and maintained by numerous passionate students. Throughout the last decade, Hazelton and his students have received grants from Pepsi and the Appalachian Region Commission to develop and expand Aquaponics & Hydroponics (A&H). Now, Aquaponics & Hydroponics is an upper level science class that is offered each year as an elective for 15 juniors and seniors. Students of the class work in a 33-foot solar powered geodesic dome that harbors a 1,200 gallon hydroponic system. The class works with aquaponic and hydroponic systems, producing mainly catfish and lettuce, but students do learn about traditional soil-based growing practices as well. They focus on three-season gardening, and grow things like swiss chard, kale, broccoli, peas, and radishes. The class used STEM-based project learning, in which students work in groups to operate a specific part of the hydroponics and aquaponic systems. Some students go through the course twice, but in the second year they are promoted to farm manager. The farm manager oversees the production operations, and usually has special projects that they propose and accomplish over a set timeline. Students in Hazelton’s class give tours and presentations to elementary classes as a kind of “in house field trip.” By involving other classes within the school, students in Hazelton’s class are able to digest the knowledge more deeply and hone their public speaking skills. FARM TO CAFETERIA All of the produce grown in Hazelton’s class is used to supplement the meals served in their school lunch. The students produce 8-10 heads of lettuce a week that is then processed and served in their cafeteria salad bar. Hazelton’s class manages the production and distribution of their produce. They gain experience operating a small scale hobby farm in which they are producing for a single supplier. They work closely with the cafeteria staff who order specific quantities of lettuce based on their daily needs. The cafeteria personnel are very accommodating to the students, and in turn benefit from fresh, nutritious produce at little to no cost to them. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Hazelton’s program has relied heavily on outside support for his class projects, and the class takes every advantage to give back to the community through consulting and presentations. His classes frequently speak about their work to civic groups and organizations. They have presented to gardening clubs, senior groups, and the Lions club. They have also assisted other institutions in starting hydroponics and aquaponics systems, and would like to be known as an open resource for the community. Belfast Central School also collaborated with Alfred State College’s building trades program for the installation of their solar panel system. Students at Alfred State college need a “test customer” to gain experience in installing PV systems, and Belfast Central School benefits from having their hydroponic and aquaponic systems be 100% offset by renewable energy. SCHOOL-WIDE SUSTAINABILITY The sustainability effort that stemmed in the class has since branched out to influence the rest of the district. Belfast Central School now has over 46 solar panels on their school and a solar wall on their bus garage. Belfast has chosen to focus on renewable energy not only because it is a great educational tool for students, but also because of its fiscal benefits. The solar panels help to reduce the school’s energy bill which reduces the burden on local taxpayers. GARDEN GOALS Within the next few years, Hazelton hopes that his class can accommodate a few more student projects. This includes the possibility of utilizing outdoor growing space. Hazelton also hopes to explore hydroponic strawberry production, which is a becoming a big initiative in this area. Hazelton has plans to expand production into the summer, increasing the class’s social media presence, and installing a live webcam that streams the catfish swimming. STUDENT IMPACT Despite Belfast Central School being located in a rural area, little to none of the students at Belfast come from family farms. Hazelton touched upon the impact that the agriculture program has on raising his students’ awareness of what vegetables actually look like. He remarked that many of his students cannot identify a broccoli plant, or know that a head of broccoli is actually a flower. Some graduates of Hazelton’s class have gone on to pursue degrees in science. These students have enrolled in programs like environmental science, fishery science, or agricultural technology. However, Hazelton points out that the real priority of the class is not to create scientists and farmers, but to teach practical life skills. The real student impact for Hazelton is when students learn critical thinking skills such as how to recognize a problem that needs to be fixed, or how to properly respond to emergencies. CONTACT INFORMATION You can follow the Belfast Central School’s hydroponics program by visiting their Facebook page: https:// www.facebook.com/pg/BCSAquaponicshydroponics/ photos/?ref=page_internal Joshua Hazelton is a science teacher at Belfast Central School. Originally from Rochester, he received a Masters degree in Biology and is an alumni of Houghton College. Feel free to contact him by email at [email protected]. Photos from the BCS Aquaponics/Hydroponics Facebook page. .
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