The New Jersey Lieutenant Governor's Office awarded the Paterson School District with a $1,000 grant that will allow students at Public School No. 8 to monitor and care for an aquaponics system.
The aquaponics system will also inspire creativity and create excitement in the learning environment and will afford students the opportunity to use chemistry, math, physics, economics, and engineering, a resolution accepting the grant read.
The students will also participate in an internal engineering competition, with the winners charged with building their designs for the purpose of expanding the school's science program. Of the $1,000, $900 will be used for students' purchase of supplies and materials for the three designated teams. The remaining $100 will be used to purchase materials needed to monitor tanks and plant growth, including digital PH readers, water monitoring kits, fish food, and other appropriate items.
"Bringing an aquaponics system to School 8 will give the school's seventh-graders a chance to learn many STEM topics through a dynamic, self-contained ecosystem," Superintendent of Schools Eileen Shafer said. "There will be many opportunities for project-based learning that will give students hands-on experiences as they learn life sciences, chemistry, physical sciences, and much more."
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