Growing the Future: Burns Sci Tech Partners with the Green Jean Foundation
At Burns Science & Technology Charter School, we believe some of the best learning happens when students can get their hands dirty, ask questions, experiment, and see science come to life right in front of them.
That is exactly what is happening in Ms. Roof’s Agriculture Science classroom through an exciting new partnership with the Green Jean Foundation.
The Green Jean Foundation is a Florida nonprofit dedicated to cultivating agricultural excellence through education. Founded by Matt Palmer, the organization works to expand agricultural education and provide students with meaningful, hands-on experiences that introduce them to farming, aquaculture, sustainable practices, and the many career opportunities available within the agricultural industry.
The Foundation has worked with schools across Florida to bring agricultural projects and aquaponics systems directly into classrooms, allowing students to learn by doing.
We are excited to bring that same type of hands-on learning to Burns.
Growing in the Classroom
Through this new partnership, Ms. Roof’s Agriculture Science students have received a tomato-growing setup featuring 20 tomato plants growing in buckets.
This gives students the opportunity to follow the entire growing process, from caring for young plants to observing growth, learning about nutrients and environmental conditions, and ultimately understanding what it takes to cultivate food successfully.
But the learning does not stop with the tomatoes.
The Green Jean Foundation has also provided an aquaponics tank for Ms. Roof’s classroom, complete with fish and a snail. And, naturally, our students quickly gave the snail a name: Gary.
Gary has already become a classroom favorite, but more importantly, the aquaponics system provides students with an opportunity to observe a living system and better understand the relationship between aquatic life, plants, water, and nutrients.
Instead of simply reading about these concepts, students can watch the system operate, ask questions, collect observations, and see how science and agriculture work together.
Looking Toward the Future
This partnership is only the beginning.
The Green Jean Foundation is also working with Burns on our existing outdoor hydroponics setup. There are plans to either repair the current system or replace it with a new setup, allowing our students to continue exploring different methods of growing and cultivating food.
Having multiple growing systems available will allow our Agriculture Science students to compare different techniques, experiment with various growing methods, and learn about the technology and science behind modern agriculture.
And there is even more to come...
As our partnership with the Green Jean Foundation continues to grow, we are excited about the additional projects and learning opportunities that are already being discussed. These experiences will give our students even more opportunities to explore agriculture, sustainability, environmental stewardship, aquaculture, and potential careers in these growing fields.
Learning by Doing
Partnerships like this are an important part of what makes a Burns education unique.
Our students aren't just learning about agriculture from a textbook. They are participating in it.
They are growing plants, caring for living systems, making observations, solving problems, and discovering how science, technology, and agriculture intersect.
They are learning that there are many different ways to produce food and that innovation can help us become better stewards of our resources. They are also gaining an understanding of the many career possibilities within agriculture and related industries.
Most importantly, they are developing curiosity, responsibility, problem-solving skills, and a deeper appreciation for where our food comes from.
We are incredibly grateful to the Green Jean Foundation for investing in our students and helping us expand the hands-on opportunities available in our Agriculture Science program.
We are excited to see where this partnership takes us next.
For now, there are 20 tomato plants growing, an aquaponics tank bubbling away, a classroom full of curious students, and one very important snail named Gary.
And we think that's a pretty great place to start.
We are growing more than plants at Burns Sci Tech. We are growing knowledge, opportunity, and the future.
