Sustainability Spotlight: Amanda Kester & Jessie James at Roper Elementary School
October’s Sustainability Spotlight is shining on Amanda Kester and Jessie James at Roper Elementary School! In November of 2022 Kester, media paraeducator, assembled Roper’s first tower garden. Since then the school has added a stacked hydroponics system and 19 smaller classroom units. These indoor growing spaces offer a wide range of instructional opportunities, give students a chance to try new foods, and help the school give back to the community. To see the gardens in action, be sure to join us at the upcoming Garden Gathering hosted at Roper in November!
It’s only fitting that this now-thriving indoor garden network got its start at another Garden Gathering. Kester and James, both Roper PTO members, learned about a grant program designed to help bring hydroponics systems into schools and decided to fill out an application.
Not long after, Green Our Planet awarded the pair with funding and their first garden system arrived. James shared that the training process was both easy and informative, and the starter plants included in the shipment had their new project “off and growing” in no time.
In just four short weeks, the school had their first harvest. The fresh produce was an instant hit.
Staff across the school began to request tabletop-sized units for their classrooms and offices. Students of all ages now watch a variety of plants mature, and their role in caring for them all as they grow helps instill a sense of responsibility and pride.
"Preschool all the way to fifth grade, everybody’s enjoying it."
Students are eager to taste new foods like lettuce, chives, and kale. Their participation in the growing process seems to get even the pickiest of eaters excited for these leafy greens. When James lets students know that the lettuce they are about to enjoy has just been harvested, she says, “I’ve had kids cheer.”
In the library, students read to the sound of the tower garden’s water flowing, and in the art room students draw or paint the growing plants. One fifth grade class tests pH and mineral levels as they add water to each system in the school.
They record and graph these measurements, and have found that different chemical properties of the water can impact how the produce eventually tastes.
Summer school students embraced the theme of “growth” and cared for three classroom units, celebrating the end of the term with salads they had grown themselves.
“There’s so much learning that can happen and it can be incorporated in so many different ways.”
The indoor gardens have also strengthened Roper’s existing sense of community. Parents and family members volunteer to help care for classroom units, and some students stop into staff offices just to visit their plants. The produce also connects people within the school and in the greater Lincoln area.
Roper Elementary provided hydroponically grown produce to supplement their most recent summer food service program, and donated even more to the Food Bank of Lincoln.
Extra harvests don’t hang around for long during the school year, either–students quickly scoop up the fresh herbs and veggies to take home and share.
“The nice thing about hydroponics is you can grow it year-round and the kids can be part of that throughout the year.”
Kester and James see the potential to grow even more food at Roper Elementary and expand the impact of their gardens. The pair hopes to see Roper establish an outdoor garden eventually, but will continue their indoor growing since the hydroponic systems are low-maintenance and accessible for students of all ages and abilities.
Their goal is for this valuable garden resource to continue even after they are no longer personally involved. Kester and James are working to continue expanding Roper’s network of staff, family, and community volunteers to make sure the gardens keep growing food for years to come.
They advise schools looking to start or expand their hydroponic growing to start small and rely on someone who has excitement and curiosity for the project. Kester also notes that getting the students involved early on is a critical component of an indoor garden’s success. She says, “Once you see [students’] energy for it, it really makes you want to keep doing it.”
We are so grateful for the work Kester and James are doing at Roper Elementary School! Their tower garden and hydroponics systems are an incredible asset to both their students and their community. Register to join us at Roper Elementary on November 8th to hear more about these indoor gardens and how to keep students engaged all year long.
Updated October 4, 2023
