Supporting the Farm in the Classroom

Millersville University recently received a $7,500 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for the second year to support the Farm in the Classroom competition. 

For the competition this year, teams of middle and high school students and their teachers will be challenged to submit designs for a hydroponics or aquaponics system. Hydroponics is a soil–less gardening method that supports the growth of plants through nutrient-rich water. Aquaponics extends the hydroponics concept by using living fish and their waste to provide mineral nutrition for the plants, thereby omitting the need for synthetic fertilizers. An added benefit of aquaponics is the addition of fish as one of the harvestable products in addition to the plant produce. The winning teams in each category will receive up to $2,000 to build their system. 

The elementary school-age division will task student teams and their teachers to identify factors that affect plant and fish life, explore how their food is produced in sustainable ways, develop an appreciation for the community significance of agriculture, and use creativity to create ways for aquaponics to promote community involvement. The winning team will receive an aquaponics system valued at $3,000 from competition partner INTAG Aquaponics.  

The grant is a collaboration between the technology & engineering education program in the applied engineering, safety & technology department, and the plant sciences program in the biology department. “This project encourages young people’s curiosity and interest in two forms of sustainable agriculture – hydroponics and aquaponics, both of which have the potential for higher yields year-round and per acre than traditional, soil-based agriculture,” says Dr. Sharon Brusic, Emeritus Professor of the Applied Engineering, Safety & Technology department. “By giving them an incentive to explore these areas using hands-on and experiential learning, there is a greater chance that they will remember the experience and potentially pursue these areas of research and development in the future.” 

Dr. Christopher Hardy, professor of plant sciences in biology, explains that teams of Millersville University students will comprise part of the judging panel that will review the proposals. “In February 2026, during a celebratory event for the winners, our students will host the winning teams on a tour of Millersville’s research and teaching facilities”. Brusic says, “This project provides some Millersville students with valuable professional development opportunities to support K-12 students’ efforts to become more well-informed about sustainable agriculture practices.”