Two Richland One elementary schools have been awarded $1,000 grants by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District (RSWCD). The money will go toward hands-on environmental education initiatives at A.C. Moore and Webber elementary schools.
RSWCD promotes the wise use and care of natural resources, with a focus on soil and water, for long-term sustainability in a changing environment. Twice a year, RSWCD offers mini-grants to support youth education initiatives at schools and education sites throughout Richland County.
Students at A.C. Moore and Webber will produce fruits and vegetables using a farmstand hydroponics growing system. This allows plants to grow using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil.
Adela Suciu, a Webber Elementary special education teacher who’s leading the project there, says she is about to start a garden club at the school. She says she hopes the hydroponics system will get students throughout the school excited about gardening and join.
“I’m very excited about this project,” said Suciu. “My students are always asking me to go out and see the garden. They really enjoy planting and seeing the things they’ve grown on their own.”
Robin Stancik, a pre-kindergarten teacher at A.C. Moore, is leading the project at the school. Her goal with the hydroponics system is to get young students excited about eating fruits and vegetables by teaching them the ways they grow.
“The students definitely get excited when they grow fruits and vegetables themselves,” said Stancik. “This hands-on learning lines right up with our curriculum.”
Students at both schools are set to start using the hydroponics systems later this spring.
Hopkins Middle School had a farmstand hydroponics growing system installed in July 2022. At the time, it was the first known farmstand system in Richland County.
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PHOTO: A farmstand hydroponics growing system was installed at Hopkins Middle School in July 2022. A.C. Moore and Webber elementary schools will have hydroponics growing systems installed in the coming weeks.
