US (AL): New project to bring food-based, sustainability science education to nearly 4,000 Birmingham students

Jones Valley Teaching Farm, NY Sun Works, and Birmingham City Schools held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Bush Hills STEAM Academy to celebrate the opening of their new Hydroponic Classroom and celebrate the groundbreaking initiative to bring Hydroponic Farming to eight Birmingham public schools for the first time. This initiative will provide a range of benefits to Birmingham City Schools students and the greater Birmingham community, including engaging hands-on learning that drives student attendance, new pathways to higher education and careers, and thousands of pounds of freshly grown produce for the community.

Each of the participating schools, including one high school, two middle schools, one K-8 school, and four elementary schools that all feed to the same participating high school, will be equipped with state-of-the-art hydroponic technology including growing towers, vine crop systems, seedling stations, and worm composting. Together, these provide a comprehensive, hands-on urban agricultural education experience. The six hydroponic classrooms and two hydroponic greenhouses are being designed and built by NY Sun Works, a NYC-based nonprofit recognized for delivering high-quality, standards-based sustainability science education through advanced hydroponic systems.

The initiative builds on Jones Valley Teaching Farm's nationally recognized Good School Food education framework that brings hands-on, food-based education into the classroom, fostering joy and curiosity around STEM education alongside the powerful act of growing food. In their new Hydroponic Classrooms, students will learn how to grow plants such as leafy greens, herbs, and vine vegetables, seed-to-harvest, using just water and nutrients.

"Our partnership with Birmingham City Schools proves that students thrive when a non-profit and a school system come together for a common purpose. That common purpose has always been students," said Jones Valley Teaching Farm Executive Director Amanda Storey. "With NY Sun Works' help, our expansion to the West Side increases our impact from 8 schools to 16 schools and brings food-based education to more students in diverse and engaging ways. We can't do it alone and by having strong partnerships in place, we know that students will benefit, and that's what matters most."

Jones Valley Teaching Farm invited NY Sun Works to partner on this initiative based on their 15 years' experience educating students in sustainability science through hydroponic farming. NY Sun Works has built and supported over 370 hydroponic classrooms in New York City, the nation's largest public school system. They have also designed and implemented the associated curriculum, trained over 1,500 teachers, and now reach more than 140,000 students annually.

In addition to the equipment and infrastructure, teachers will receive ongoing training in the NY Sun Works standards-aligned science curriculum that fully leverages the hydroponic systems and engages students in the joy of this new immersive learning experience.

"We are thrilled to celebrate the official opening of Hydroponic Classrooms and Greenhouses at Birmingham City Schools, bringing food-based and sustainability science education to thousands of students," said NY Sun Works Executive Director Manuela Zamora. "This initiative will provide students with year-round interactive learning experiences in sustainable agriculture, while also fostering a deep understanding and curiosity of STEM principles and environmental stewardship. Together, we're cultivating a generation of farmer-scientists, innovators, and leaders in new careers who will lead the way toward a more resilient future."

The following Birmingham City Schools are participating in the expansion: Jackson-Olin High School, Bush Hills STEAM Academy, Green Acres Middle School, South Hampton K-8 School, Central Park Elementary School, Charles A. Brown Elementary School, Minor Elementary School, and Wylam Elementary School.

"Expanding and diversifying food-based educational programming through hydroponics at the eight schools within the Jackson-Olin feeder pattern marks a significant next step in our partnership with JVTF. This expansion will allow 3,700 additional students to experience food-based education, double the number of interns receiving paid work-based learning opportunities, and create a local and sustainable produce procurement opportunity by integrating produce grown in the newly established learning labs into the schools' cafeterias," said Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Sullivan. "We are preparing a new generation of state, national and world leaders in Birmingham City Schools. This initiative helps strengthen the foundation for our scholars' future success."

© NY Sun Works

Seed funding from the City of Birmingham and Birmingham City Schools will support the acquisition, building, and installation of the technology and infrastructure of the labs curriculum, and teacher training. All new Hydroponic Classrooms opened on the first day of school on August 7, 2025.

"This investment represents more than new technology in our classrooms — it represents hope, opportunity, and a vision for what education can be," said Birmingham Mayor Randall L. Woodfin. "By connecting our students to hands-on science, sustainable agriculture, and career pathways, we are equipping them to solve tomorrow's challenges today. I am proud that Birmingham is the first city in the nation to launch a program of this kind, and I look forward to seeing our students grow into the innovators and leaders our community and world need."

"Programs like this help empower our students to take an active role in their environment and community," said Council President Darrell O'Quinn. "Being able to get your hands dirty, and eventually see the fruits of your labor, it's something that can't be taught in a traditional classroom setting; which is why these teaching farms have become a crucial part of our school system. They are helping to cultivate a lifelong interest in healthy foods and sustainability that will have long-term benefits for these students and I'm honored to be able to play a role in their development."