It began three years ago as a small cross-curricular project to help high school students learn geometry concepts. Now, the Greenhouse Project has grown into a major learning experience combining math, science, and real-world skills benefiting students throughout the Cuyahoga Heights Schools.
Under the guidance of Dr. Brian Friedt, Zach Noernberg, and former teacher Kelsey Mason, the project began with students learning to apply geometry to real-life experiences by measuring and determining the size of what eventually became a 10- by 20-ft. hoop-shaped greenhouse adjacent to the baseball field. In the process, the students tackled school budgeting, planning, and project execution.
Last spring, students in Chadwick Robinson’s Environmental Science class got involved by preparing the inside of the greenhouse for plantings. They selected and grew plants from seed in Robinson's classroom using recycled containers.
Under Robinson’s guidance, a 25 x 20-ft. garden was added to the existing greenhouse and more than $500 worth of vegetables donated by Oxbow Farm in Valley View were planted, including pumpkins. This fall, the bountiful harvest enabled the district's kindergarten classes to visit the site. Each student was presented with a pumpkin for his or her fall art project.
Also under Robinson’s assistance, high school students taking science classes planted more than 100 native Ohio plants, spanning more than 20 different species, on school property. These native plants aim to improve organic diversity and watershed health for the Cuyahoga River while also promoting natural insect and mammal pollinators in the school grounds and surrounding communities.
This past summer, a $2,800 grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation made for installation of a solar panel that generates electricity to power a small pump to deliver water to the plants. To secure the grant, writers Robinson and Friedt had to demonstrate how the funds aligned with content standards for the high school’s physical science, physical geology, environmental science, and biology courses. “The addition of a small solar panel to the greenhouse allowed students to gain hands-on experience building sustainability features into the existing structure. It also provided opportunities to conduct meaningful, experience-based instruction that motivates students to learn and reinforces important skills, all while providing a more consistent watering schedule for our crops,” said Friedt.
This past summer, the Garden Project yielded impressive results, producing hundreds of pounds of fresh produce, composed of tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, squash, sunflowers, corn, and pumpkins. The produce was donated to members of the school community.
