New York Sun Works, founded in 2004 by
Ted Caplow
Theodore "Ted" Caplow (born 1969) is an American social entrepreneur, environmental engineer, and inventor. He is the founder of greenhouse science lab provider New York Sun Works and the co-founder of AgTech supply-chain disruptor BrightFarms. ...
, is a non-profit organization that uses hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. To further this goal, NY Sun Works created the ''Greenhouse Project'',
[Kerri MacDonald, "On a School Rooftop, Hydroponic Greens for Little Gardeners," ''New York Times'', Nov. 22, 2010 (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/22/on-a-school-rooftop-hydroponic-greens-for-little-gardeners/?ref=nyregion&_r=0).] an initiative dedicated to improving K through 12 grade environmental science education through the lens of urban agriculture, empowering children to make educated choices about their impact on the environment. The ''Greenhouse Project'' was inspired by NY Sun Works’ first project, the renowned
Science Barge
The Science Barge is a floating urban farm and environmental education center that has been docked in Yonkers, New York, Yonkers, New York, USA since late 2008. The Barge grows crops using a hydroponic greenhouse powered by solar panels, wind turbi ...
; a prototype, sustainable urban farm and environmental education center previously housed on the
Hudson River and now located in Yonkers under different ownership.
[Groundwork Hudson Valley, ''FAQs'', http://www.groundworkhv.org/programs/science-barge/faqs/ (April 15, 2015).]
Partnerships
As of August 2019, NY Sun Works has 129 partner schools with completed Greenhouse Classrooms.
NY Sun Works partner schools with completed greenhouse classrooms in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey include :
† lab no longer in use
NY Sun Works have partnered with Brooklyn Borough President
Eric Adams who announced a $2 million investment in 12 NYSW labs in underserved Brooklyn Communities for fiscal year 2016.
NY Sun Works is also a committed
Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) America Commitment to Action partner for the Grow A Lot project which will build greenhouses on vacant lots in areas needing greater access to fresh food. A model for future projects, the first greenhouse will be built in East New York, Brooklyn and incorporate NY Sun Works’ classroom layout and "Discovering Sustainability Science" curriculum, enabling hands-on STEM learning for area schools and community members.
The nonprofit Students for Service has partnered with Bedford Stuyvesant New Beginnings Charter School and NY Sun Works to teach nutrition and distribute food grown in the Greenhouse Classroom to students and neighborhood families.
[Camille Bautista, ''Student Farmers Grow Fresh Vegetables Year-Round for Bed-Stuy Community'', DNAinfo, (April 15, 2015).]
The
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
Club of New York recently partnered with NY Sun Works under HBSCNY’s Community Partners program. Assisting with an assessment of potential NY Sun Works partnerships, the team of Community Partners volunteers prepared a set of key recommendations on growth alternatives.
The Greenhouse Project
''The Greenhouse Project''
was created in 2008 to increase K – 8th grade students’ interest and proficiency in STEM education while understanding the environmental issues of their time: global climate change, efficient use of water and energy, building greener cities, and growing a secure and healthy food supply.
[Sydney Ember, "Grow Local and Eat Local, City Council Says," ''New York Times'', July 29, 2011
(http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/grow-local-and-eat-local-city-council-says/).] The Greenhouse Project initiative uses urban agriculture technology to provide an ideal hands-on learning facility paired with a project-based, integrated curriculum.
[The Green Apple, ''Growing New Teaching Methods'', WABC, http://wabc.typepad.com/thegreenapple/2011/11/growing-new-teaching-methods.html (March 6, 2015).]
A greenhouse project classroom can be built as a traditional greenhouse or in a converted classroom to accommodate a hydroponic
urban farm
Urban agriculture, urban farming, or urban gardening is the practice of cultivating, processing, and distributing food in or around urban areas. It encompasses a complex and diverse mix of food production activities, including fisheries and for ...
and environmental science laboratory. Grade school children grow food while engaging in hands-on learning about
nutrition,
water resource management, efficient land use,
climate change,
biodiversity,
conservation,
contamination,
pollution,
waste management, and
sustainable development
Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...
. To facilitate this hands-on learning environment, the Greenhouse Project classroom typically includes
Nutrient film technique
Nutrient film technique (NFT) is a hydroponic technique where in a very shallow stream of water containing all the dissolved nutrients required for plant growth is re-circulated past the bare roots of plants in a watertight gully, also known as ...
hydroponic growing systems, Dutch-Bucket systems, Vertical Integrated Growing systems, an
aquaponics or fish farm tank, a
Rainwater harvesting system, a vermi-composting corner, and a
weather station.
The 2016 NY Sun Works Curriculum and Science Achievement Report conducted by Kate Gardner Burt, PhD, RD (Teachers College, Columbia University) concluded that students who receive the NY Sun Works curriculum are more likely to score higher on the 4th grade science achievement test than students who do not receive the NY Sun Works curriculum
Achievements
* Partnered with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to bring 21st century science and sustainability education into the classroom.
*School lab funded by participatory budgeting debuts.
*New York Sun Works wins the HBSCNY Gold Community Partners Leadership Award.
*26 greenhouse classrooms are fully operational, and 24 more labs are in development.
* Created a comprehensive K – 12th grade sustainable STEM curriculum designed for integration with the Greenhouse Classrooms.
* Designed and operated the Science Barge, a classroom and showcase for sustainable hydroponic agriculture which had over 20,000 unique visitors. Now owned and operated by Groundwork Hudson Valley, the Science Barge is still an active teaching tool.
* Conducted 13 DOE-approved After School Professional Development Program courses on "Water, Energy, and Waste: Integrating Themes of Sustainability into your Classroom," training over 100 teachers.
* Hosted 4th annual Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference, which featured 5th - 8th grade students from NY Sun Works partner schools presenting on a range of topics within the themes of "Building Sustainable Cities," "Building a Sustainable Future," and "Building Sustainable Minds."
* Featured in several media outlets including
** CBS News,
** PBS Newshour,
** PBS Metro News, Aljazeera America, CNN,
** NY1 News
** ABC 7 News,
** The New York Times,
** NY Daily News,
** Change Observer,
** The Economist,
** Edible Magazine,
** TIME Magazine for Kids,
[Katherine Watkins, "Up on the Roof," ''TIME for Kids'', Nov. 18, 2011 (http://www.timeforkids.com/news/roof/19576).]
References
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External links
Official Website* NYSW Youth Conferenc
Official Website
Non-profit organizations based in New York (state)
Environmental organizations based in New York (state)
Environmental organizations based in New York City