NYPA Opens New Green Classroom at Brooklyn P-TECH High School in Crown Heights

NYPA Opens New Green Classroom at Brooklyn P-TECH High School in Crown Heights

For Immediate Release:10/30/24

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NYPA Opens New Green Classroom at Brooklyn P-TECH High School in Crown Heights

NYPA Funding Has Now Supported 36 Hydroponic Classrooms to Enhance Environmental Science and Sustainability Education Across Five Boroughs

Collaboration with NY Sun Works Will Prepare Students for STEM Careers in State's Clean Energy Economy

See Photos Here

New York Power Authority (NYPA) leaders joined students at Brooklyn's P-TECH High School in Crown Heights today to unveil a new hands-on green classroom to help build students' skills and better prepare them to enter careers that will enable New York's clean energy future. The new hands-on hydroponic laboratory classroom will enable students to grow healthy produce with just water and nutrients, no soil, to learn about environmental science, climate action and sustainability. The new educational laboratory builds on NYPA's P-TECH program to include practical STEM experience with urban food production.

"The New York Power Authority is committed to expanding educational opportunities for young people who will strengthen our growing clean energy workforce," said Justin E. Driscoll, New York Power Authority president and CEO. "Indoor food production is an engaging way to stimulate interest in energy, technology and science and inspire thinking about environmental stewardship, local food production and healthy nutrition. Since 2018, we've supported 36 green classrooms and are pleased to announce this latest one today."

More than a dozen 11^th and 12th-grade students today led tours of the hydroponic systems designed by the non-profit NY Sun Works made up of seeding stations, a tower garden, hanging vines and a composting station, and showed how to germinate seeds and transfer the small plants to larger containers for distribution.

Formally known as Pathways in Technology Early College High School, P-TECH is a first-of-its-kind 9-14 school model, which combines high school, college and the world of work. The school includes courses toward an associate's degree in computer information systems and computer engineering technology.

"The green classroom built by New York SunWorks and supported by the New York Power Authority is a tremendous addition to the groundbreaking work we have undertaken at P-TECH, where we are utilizing cutting edge technology to enrich our students' experiences," said Principal Rashid Ferrod Davis. "The hydroponics program offers students a promising avenue to explore ways to manage the consequences of climate change and prepare for the jobs of the future. We look forward to embracing additional opportunities to learn about sustainability, climate change and renewable energy."

NYPA's green classroom program offers direct exposure to food production paired with environmental science and sustainability education through state-of-the-art hydroponics science labs. Students grow food in the urban farm and environmental science laboratory while learning the mandated science standards with a hands-on approach, focusing on topics/concepts such as resource management, land use, climate change, conservation and sustainable development. The lab will operate as an integrated part of the school's 10^th grade curricula

The latest Brooklyn classroom also builds on NYPA's nationally respected P-TECHprogram, which offers paid internships to help high school students in underserved communities learn workplace skills and gain the education needed to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.

Since 2018, NYPA has supported the installation, instruction at, and ongoing maintenance of hydroponic equipment at labs across New York City. Through its environmental justice program, NYPA has converted 36 classrooms and rooftops into hydroponic science labs that yield healthy produce and offer students opportunities to learn about climate change, sustainability and renewable energy. The P-TECH program is one of 13 labs the Power Authority has supported in Brooklyn. The average New York Sun Works hydroponic classroom produces more than 500 pounds of vegetables per school year. Produce is used as part of the science curriculum and students can take it home with them to give to their families.

NYPA funds operations and maintenance of the labs for three years, including teacher training, student and parent engagement, curriculum and research support.

New York Sun Works provides curriculum, training and community engagement support.

"It is an honor to welcome P-TECH, an early college and career school that focuses on STEM learning, to the NY Sun Works family, joining a cohort of 350 partner schools across the five boroughs," said Manuela Zamora, NY Sun Works executive director. "This long-term collaboration with NYPA has allowed NY Sun Works to bring comprehensive climate education and hands-on STEM learning to 36 of our partner schools. Climate change is the most existential crisis of our lifetime and a sustainable future starts in the classroom. The P-TECH community will explore climate education through hydroponic systems and curriculum, building a generation of environmentally conscious citizens, innovators and leaders empowered to create solutions to global climate challenges."

SUNY Trustee Stanley S Litow, who founded the P-TECH program, said," The leadership demonstrated by the New York Power Authority in providing a 'hydroponic classroom lab' to the nation's first PTECH school should be both commended and recognized. This valuable addition to the innovative and pathbreaking P-TECH school will provide considerable benefits to students, faculty and the entire school community as this important facility is integrated into the successful P-TECH program."

Assemblymember Stefani Zinerman said, "As Chair of the Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce and a member of the Agriculture Committee, I am thrilled to see the New York Power Authority's commitment to our young people and urban food sustainability. This green classroom initiative at P-TECH High School reflects the very best of workforce readiness and environmental stewardship, equipping students with vital skills in hydroponics and soil-based agriculture. The 56th Assembly District now has ten schools where students are growing food and exploring agricultural technology. This program enhances students' STEM knowledge, creates a complete educational pipeline, and empowers them to build healthier, more sustainable communities."

NYPA's environmental justice team provides educational resources and community engagement activities to people living in underserved communities that host the Power Authority's facilities statewide. Three interns from Brooklyn P-TECH were hired this summer as part of the P-TECH internship program, conducting energy audits for local companies and earning professional certifications. NYPA also supported a career academy at Brooklyn P-TECH and a STEP program at Medgar Evers College; hosted weatherization workshops at Brooklyn Public Library and Lindsay Park Housing Corp.; and held a 3-day STEM campat El Puente, a human rights non-profit in Brooklyn.

Elsewhere in New York City, a rooftop garden was announced for the Variety Boys & Girls Club of Queens, an electric vehicle was donated to the Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical Education High School in the Bronx, and an indoor food production system was installed for Harlem Grown, a local non-profit organization.

More information about NYPA's Environmental Justice programming can be found on the environmental justice webpage on NYPA's website.

About NYPA

NYPA is the largest state public power organization in the nation, operating 17 generating facilities and more than 1,550 circuit-miles of transmission lines. More than 80 percent of the electricity NYPA produces is clean renewable hydropower. NYPA finances its operations through the sale of bonds and revenues earned in large part through sales of electricity. For more information visit www.nypa.govand follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblrand LinkedIn.

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