Bursts of pinks, oranges and all shades of green greet the buzzing bees and students of Birmingham’s Bush Hills STEAM Academy.

Bush students are among those from eight Birmingham schools using brand new hydroponic farming technology in their science classrooms. In a partnership between Jones Valley Teaching Farm , New York Sun Works , Birmingham City Schools, and the city of Birmingham, the farms will produce up to 4,000 pounds of fresh produce annually, which will stay in the community, and give students opportunities for hands-on learning.

“There’s this really unique thing that happens when young people are in charge of something and they have agency…They’re caring and nurturing for something as small as a seed, but the output of that is something bigger,” Amanda Storey, executive

See Full Page