WASHINGTON — Something new is coming to Anacostia New Tech High School in Southeast D.C. The school broke ground Monday on a new green house and "living classroom" that will eventually allow students to grow food for their community.
It's the latest piece of a redesign for the high school, made possible through a partnership with University of the District of Columbia and Department of Energy and Environment.
The green house will include hydroponics facilities so student can grow food on campus and learn a new skill for future employment.
Tomeka McKenzie is the director of redesign for the school.
"This is a joyous day. We are groundbreaking on something real. Our kids are learning how to have urban sustainability within their community. They are going kale, they are going all kinds of crops that are going to be beneficial to their community," she said. "This is a big thing for Anacostia High School. This is a first."
Principal William Haith said the new green house will play a role in highlighting environmental justice at the school.
"Through our partnerships with DOEE and UDC, they have sponsored for us to get a full hydroponics tank for us to grow food and vegetables out of that environment," Haith said, pointing at where the green house will eventually stand.
Haith said hydroponics is about using a water-based solution to grow things, rather than soil.
"We'll have a green house here that will have access to natural water, natural light, that will allow the vegetables to have all the resources they need to grow in this environment," Haith said.
The green house will also allow students to get out of the classroom, and experience hands-on learning, part of the school's project-based learning strategy.
"They will have hands-on work with DOEE, they'll have hands-on work with our teachers and professors at UDC to help them run this, and eventually they will be the experts doing it by themselves," Haith explained.
There is no word yet when the green house will be complete.
