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New York Sun Works
Formation2004; 20 years ago (2004)
Founder Ted Caplow
Type Nonprofit
20-0670312
Legal status 501(c)(3)
Headquarters New York, New York
Executive Director
Manuela Zamora
Website https://nysunworks.org/

New York Sun Works, founded in 2004 by Ted Caplow, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that uses hydroponic farming technology to educate students and teachers about the science of sustainability. Their Hydroponic Classroom program was inspired by NY Sun Works' first project, the renowned Science Barge; a prototype, sustainable urban farm and environmental education center previously housed on the Hudson River and now located in Yonkers under different ownership. [1]

In 2010, New York Sun Works built the first of their Hydroponic Classrooms at a Manhattan public elementary school [2] with the goal of teaching sustainability science and climate education. In 2022, they launched their Workforce Development Program pilot program with funding from the USDA, [3] which certifies high school students in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) techniques. [4]

As of April 2024, they currently support over 300 Hydroponic Classrooms in schools across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Queens, Staten Island, and New Jersey. [5] NY Sun Works is an EPA, NAAEE, and Harvard Business School Club of NY award-winning organization [6] and maintains a platinum-rated status on Guidestar [7] and a Top-Rated status on GreatNonprofits. [8]

Hydroponic Classrooms

Originally launched under the name The Greenhouse Project, [9] the Hydroponic Classroom program 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. [10] The Hydroponic Classroom initiative uses urban agriculture technology to provide an ideal hands-on learning facility paired with a project-based, integrated curriculum. [11]

A Hydroponic Classroom can be built as a traditional greenhouse or in a converted classroom to accommodate a hydroponic urban farm and environmental science laboratory. Children in grades K-12 grow food while engaging in hands-on learning about climate change, water resource management, efficient land use, biodiversity, conservation, contamination, pollution, waste management, nutrition, and sustainable development. To facilitate this learning environment, Hydroponic Classrooms typically include nutrient film technique 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. [12]

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. [13]

Urban Agriculture Workforce Development Program

The NY Sun Works Urban Agriculture Workforce Development Program was originally launched as a pilot in the summer of 2022 with funding from the US Department of Agriculture. [3] Part of NYC Mayor Eric Adams' Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), the pilot certified 32 students from Brooklyn and Queens in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) techniques.

Since the completion of this initial six week pilot program, the Workforce Development program has been adapted into a summer intensive, as well as both a semester & year-long elective science course. The program has also since expanded to the post-secondary level, supporting a Hydroponic Classroom and workforce development initiative at LaGuardia Community College. [14] The Hydroponic Classroom at LaGuardia CC was funded by Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez through Community Project Funding. [14]

Annual Youth Conference

Held annually since 2011, the Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference is a presentation of student works from NY Sun Works partner schools. After being held virtually throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Youth Conference took place on May 24th at the renowned Javits Center. Over 900 students in grades 2-12 gathered to watch and present the research happening in their Hydroponic Classrooms. [15] In addition, the conference included guest speakers from organizations in STEM, sustainability, education, and urban farming.

The 2024 Youth Conference will also take place at the Javits Center on May 23rd.

Achievements

  • Partnered with Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams to bring 21st century science and sustainability education into the classroom. [16]
  • School labs funded by participatory budgeting debuts. [17]
  • New York Sun Works wins the HBSCNY Gold Community Partners Leadership Award. [18]
  • Over 300 Hydroponic Classrooms are fully operational. [5]
  • Created a comprehensive K – 12th grade sustainable STEM curriculum designed for integration with the Hydroponic Classrooms. [19] [20]
  • Designed and operated the Science Barge, a classroom and showcase for sustainable hydroponic agriculture which had over 20,000 unique visitors. [21] Now owned and operated by Groundwork Hudson Valley, the Science Barge is still an active teaching tool. [1]
  • 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. [22]
  • Hosted 12th annual Discovering Sustainability Science Youth Conference, which featured 2nd - 12th grade students from NY Sun Works partner schools presenting on a range of topics at the Javits Center. [23]
  • Featured in several media outlets including

References

  1. ^ a b Groundwork Hudson Valley, FAQs, http://www.groundworkhv.org/programs/science-barge/faqs/ Archived 2014-09-03 at the Wayback Machine (April 15, 2015).
  2. ^ MacDonald, Kerri (2010-11-22). "On a School Rooftop, Hydroponic Greens for Little Gardeners". City Room. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  3. ^ a b "USDA Announces First-Ever Recipients of Urban Agriculture Grants and Cooperative Agreements | USDA". www.usda.gov. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  4. ^ Achard, Sepehr (2023-06-19). "Brooklyn Schools Get Boost for Green Education and Workforce Training". iGrow News. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  5. ^ a b "New York Sun Works awarded grant to support climate education". www.verticalfarmdaily.com. 2023-11-02. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  6. ^ "HBSCNY Awards $40,000 to NYC Nonprofits". Harvard Business School Club of New York.
  7. ^ "NEW YORK SUN WORKS INC". Guide Star.
  8. ^ "NY Sun Works on GreatNonprofits". Great Nonprofits.
  9. ^ a b 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).
  10. ^ a b 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/).
  11. ^ a b The Green Apple, Growing New Teaching Methods, WABC, http://wabc.typepad.com/thegreenapple/2011/11/growing-new-teaching-methods.html (March 6, 2015).
  12. ^ cycle-interactive.com, CYCLE Interactive LLC-. "Education". New York Sun Works. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  13. ^ cycle-interactive.com, CYCLE Interactive LLC-. "Assessment". New York Sun Works. Retrieved 2020-03-27.
  14. ^ a b "LaGuardia Community College, Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez, and NY Sun Works Celebrate Opening of Hydroponic Research Lab". Queens Gazette. 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  15. ^ Magazine, Harlem World (2023-05-25). "NY Sun Works Hosted NYC Students At Its 12th Annual Science Youth Conference". Harlem World Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  16. ^ "BP ADAMS ANNOUNCES $15 MILLION CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN STEAM EDUCATION TO OVER 50 BROOKLYN SCHOOLS, INCLUDING 11 HYDROPONIC LABS, 3 MAKER SPACES, CULINARY ARTS LAB, AND CREATIVE LAB | Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams". www.brooklyn-usa.org. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  17. ^ "School Lab Funded By Participatory Budgeting Debuts On UES". Upper East Side, NY Patch. 2019-11-06. Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  18. ^ "HBSCNY Awards $40,000 to NYC Nonprofits | www.hbscny.org". Retrieved 2020-03-26.
  19. ^ "New York City Nonprofit Builds On-site Greenhouses in City Schools". seedstock.com. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  20. ^ New York Sun Works, Core Curriculum 6-12 grade, http://nysunworks.org/education/the-greenhouse-project-curriculum Archived 2015-05-04 at the Wayback Machine (April 15, 2015).
  21. ^ Krista Leahy, PHOTOS: New York Sun Works Plants NYC's First Public School Greenhouse On Top of P.S. 333, Inhabit NYC, http://inhabitat.com/nyc/photos-new-york-sun-works-plants-nycs-first-public-school-greenhouse-on-top-of-p-s-333/ Archived 2015-07-31 at the Wayback Machine (April 15, 2015).
  22. ^ Eve Turow, The Greenhouse Project: NY Sun Works Bringing the Farm to the Classroom, Drive The District, http://www.drivethedistrict.com/2014/10/02/the-greenhouse-projectny-sun-works-bringing-the-farm-to-the-classroom/ Archived 2015-12-11 at the Wayback Machine (April 15, 2015).
  23. ^ Magazine, Harlem World (2023-05-25). "NY Sun Works Hosted NYC Students At Its 12th Annual Science Youth Conference". Harlem World Magazine. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  24. ^ "Greenhouse Project Classrooms Give Students Hands On Experience With Conservation". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  25. ^ "Greenhouse labs spur student learning on Manhattan rooftops". PBS NewsHour. 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  26. ^ CNN, "A Farm On Every Rooftop," http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/international/2011/03/24/ef.genetic.modification.bk.c.cnn.html (May 20, 2013).
  27. ^ "Estudiantes siembran plantas y estudian ciencia -con agua en lugar de tierra". ny1noticias.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  28. ^ Charkes, Juli S. (2008-11-21). "Soil-Free Farming, as Practiced on Board". The New York Times. ISSN  0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  29. ^ Sharon Otterman, "Turning Asphalt Into Edible Education," New York Times, October 19, 2010 ( http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/turning-asphalt-into-edible-education/).
  30. ^ "Models to hit fashion runway at Brooklyn Navy Yard dressed in recycled trash". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  31. ^ Jordan Galloway, "Big Town Thinking Green, Growing Young Scientists," New York Daily News, June 11, 2014 ( http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/big-town/growing-young-scientists-article-1.1825258).
  32. ^ "Pilot for an environmental studies laboratory in public schools". Design Observer. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  33. ^ "Does it really stack up?". The Economist. ISSN  0013-0613. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  34. ^ Welhouse, Abigail (2012-02-09). "It's Elementary: PS 333's Rooftop Hydroponic Farm Even Comes with Picnic Tables". Edible Manhattan. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  35. ^ Katherine Watkins, "Up on the Roof," TIME for Kids, Nov. 18, 2011 ( http://www.timeforkids.com/news/roof/19576).

External links

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