The staff at MHY´s Longmore Academy installed two hydroponic tower gardens that enable students to learn about plant cycles, gardening, math and the ability to care for a living organism.

MARS — Teachers look for new and exciting ways to help students learn. At MHY Family Services' Longmore Academy in Mars, the teachers are using a grant from Lincoln Learning Solutions to introduce a unique learning experience.

Recently, the staff at MHY's Longmore Academy installed two hydroponic tower gardens that enable students to learn about plant cycles, gardening, math and the ability to care for a living organism.

For some of the students, this will provide fresh vegetables and healthy foods to which they might not have previously had access.

MHY specializes in helping children and young adults overcome behavioral struggles through trauma-informed rehabilitation methods.

“We are beyond excited to have these amazing tower gardens in Longmore Academy,” said Lisa Schiller, MHY's executive director. “Our students are in special and serious circumstances in which many of them have a hard time building connections. Being able to care for something as simple as a tomato plant is drastically improving their self-esteem and team skills. I feel this is such a great blessing to our school, and I am forever thankful to Lincoln Learning Solutions for the grant opportunity.”

Tower gardens, unlike traditional gardening methods, do not require the use of soil, thus keeping the classroom clean and free of pests and making the garden transportable. It uses the combination of a special hydro-system, air and lights to maintain proper watering and sunlight.

While tower gardens are not new to schools in the surrounding area, MHY is the first organization to receive these systems through a grant opportunity provided by Lincoln Learning Solutions.

“The tower gardens give students a lot of opportunities for hands-on learning, which is important for alternative ed. student engagement,” said George Pacinda, vice president of philanthropy at Lincoln Learning Solutions. “It is also a great way to get them involved in multidisciplinary studies.”

Teachers, staff and students at MHY will experience a new world of gardening in the classroom. Science teachers are using this opportunity to teach students about the plant cycle, food production and sustainability. Other teachers are using it to help students with math — as they measure plant growth — as well as critical life-skills as they learn to take care of something.

“Our gardens have already flowered and produced several yields,” said Christine Raymond, education director. “Some students were able to try new vegetables and herbs like basil, bok choy and arugula for the first time in their lives. This is a great opportunity for students as it will positively affect them in many ways.”

To learn more about tower gardens, visit www.towergarden.com/tg.

For more information regarding MHY, visit www.mhyfamilyservices.org.