Fredericksburg Parent

22 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • November 2024 sponsored material Tucked away in her home in Fredericksburg Academy's Lower School STEAM Lab, a Russian desert tortoise named Yoshi regularly enjoys a unique farm-to-table feast, as students excitedly share freshly picked green leaf lettuce and observe how eagerly the object of their affection devours this home-grown treat. The harvest comes from the hydroponic gardens glowing and growing in all of FA's Lower School and preschool classrooms. Hydroponics, the method of growing plants in a water-based nutrient solution instead of soil, is the latest strategic investment by FA to enrich and enhance the Lower School student learning experience. Last year, the Pre-K-12 school located in Spotsylvania County won a grant from Green Our Planet, an international organization focused on helping teachers use school gar- dens and hydroponic laboratories to teach STEM, conservation, nutrition and entrepre- neurship. The grant funded the hydroponic beds and lights, seed pods and nutrient mix. Teachers gained access to a catalog of resources to help them build cross-curricular les- sons around the indoor gardens. The hydroponic beds are one piece of a strong focus FA places on experiential and nature-based learning. Fredericksburg Academy is certified by the Association for Nature-Based Education as a nature-based elementary school. Hydroponic Gardens Bring Outdoor Learning Full Circle FREDERICKSBURG ACADEMY YOSHI WRITTEN BY EMILY FREELING

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