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    • Have you heard about all the schools in the Archer cluster having an Aquaponics System?  What is that you ask?  AgSTEM incorporates Agriculture with Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. What does one have to do with the other? Aquaponics is a farming method that connects aquaculture (i.e. fish production) to hydroponic plant growth in a circulating system that utilizes 90% less water than traditional growing methods. The fish provide water and nutrients to feed the growth of plants.

    • Thanks to a partnership with Mercer University’s STEM Education Innovation (SEI) Lab, Gwinnett’s Soil and Water Conservation District, and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Lawrenceville District office, and the University of Georgia's Warnell College of Forestry, these systems will engage Archer’s elementary, middle, and high school students in cross-curricular learning that supports grade-level academic standards while deepening students' understanding of the science behind growing food. By building upon this experience all the way through high school, Archer educators envision a rich learning experience that connects academics to real, global issues like food security, resource conservation and human impacts on the natural environment.

      And now, the Archer cluster is "growing" even more!  Thanks to a generous donation from Grace New Hope Church, we now have a greenhouse - complete with an aquaponics system.  Our goal is to produce enough vegetables to host a cluster-wide farmers' market. This would not be possible without the collaborative efforts and support of all our partners mentioned above.  Thank you for helping us grow!