If you work in a school, been an administrator, or are friends with school faculty then you know the biggest restriction they face is cost. There is never enough money to do the programming teachers would like to do. Some budgets are so tight that teachers are forced to buy classroom materials out of their own pocket!
With the purse drawstrings held so tightly it’s nearly impossible to do something unique and fun. Especially like putting an aquaponics system in the classroom, right?
Wrong! Sure, depending on the scale and amount of programming that you want to incorporate, an aquaponics program could easily cost thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars. Think: a greenhouse aquaponics program across your entire school system. A program that engages all various types of classes, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math of course. But also Entrepreneurship and Business, Health and Wellness, Cooking, Horticulture, Aquaculture and so many more. This large scale school-wide program is the dream of many educators. This may be a practical option for some private schools or universities with large discretionary budgets. But, for most teachers that’s just simply not anywhere near cost effective enough.
We’ve seen first hand that a lot of educators are looking for a simple, cost effective solutions to bring an innovative teaching aids like aquaponics into their classroom. For those who are looking to just shine a little fun and interactive education via aquaponics we have designed the perfect low cost teacher tool to get your class growing and learning to its fullest potential.
First, we did a lot of discovery with teachers and instructors to learn what they were looking to gain out of having an aquaponics system in their class. We also looked at what resources they had available to them already in order to make this dream a viable reality. We came to two major conclusions after these meetings:
- If the costs are minimal, or and spread out in affordable installments, that’s a realistic proposal for teachers and a school board to justify the investment. Especially on something as progressive and utilitarian as a classroom aquaponics system.
- Most schools have already invested in fish tanks. However, in many cases they were sitting around unused. If the tanks were in use, the maintenance was a huge burden on the teacher or custodial staff. Standard aquarium setups require great care to keep clean and healthy.
With this in mind we set out to create a system that would meet these criteria, low cost, low maintenance, and able to be fashioned to existing aquariums or unused fish tanks. The result is the aFrame aquaponics system. The ultimate in classroom teacher tool. The aFrame comes in two sizes:
- Any standard 20-35 gallon fish tank.
- Any standard 40-60 gallon fish tank
These are the most common fish tank sizes. In fact, many classrooms already have them!. The aFrame uses vertical growing towers. This saves space in the classroom while still bringing the forefront of aquaponics growing innovation to the students. In addition, the systems use LED lighting, a low cost, low energy lighting source. This provides high impact results and will last for over seven years in the classroom before needing a replacement.
The result of this design brings a high tech teacher tool to the classroom. This ensures that students are learning progressive alternatives to traditional farming. They are also focusing on STEM related education for the future. The best part is this amazing classroom aid is both practical and affordable!
Trifecta Ecosystems is bringing aquaponics to the classroom because we know that this comprehensive tool will allow even the most stubborn students to enjoy learning everything from Biology to Engineering. We also can provide you with every teaching tool you could need to go along with the system. In addition to affordable systems, we offer NGSS approved lesson plans, guest lectures, and even farm fiield trips to allow students to see a commercial operation!
We also offer grant writing assistance for any school wishing lesson their financial burden and increase programming options. Are you a teacher, part of your child’s PTA, or a faculty member of a school? Do you need of some new drive and motivational tools in the classroom? If so, please contact us or give us a call at 860-531-2782. We love bringing aquaponics to the minds of young students.
Their imaginations, curiosity and willingness to learn always inspire us. We are always looking to work with any budget to ensure our students have the brightest future. To learn more about the benefits of classroom aquaponics check out our earlier post 7 Reasons Your School Needs Classroom Aquaponics. Make sure to watch the video of students learning with aquaponics!
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