Project GROW: Tower & Aeroponic Gardening Resources

Welcome to the Project GROW community! This list provides direct links and resources to support Brentwood schools in launching and maintaining successful tower gardens and farm-to-fork initiatives.

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🥗 Curriculum & Lesson Plans

• Tower Garden Education Portal: This is the primary hub for CCSS- and NGSS-aligned lesson plans for Pre-K through 7th grade. It includes specialized "Seed to Harvest" journals.

• National Farm to School Network: A massive database of resources. Search for "hydroponics" to find classroom-specific guides and success stories.

• KidsGardening.org Hydroponics Guide: An excellent "101" guide for teachers to explain the science of soil-less growing to elementary students.

• Pilot Light Food Education: Standards-aligned lessons that help students advocate for a healthier food system—perfect for the "Community" aspect of Project GROW.

• USDA Farm to School Resources: Federal resources and grant information for expanding school garden programs into the cafeteria.

🛠️ Technical Support & Maintenance

• Tower Garden Official Support: The go-to source for assembly manuals, pump maintenance, and technical troubleshooting.

• Keep It Watered (YouTube): A fantastic YouTube channel run by educators specifically for school tower gardens. They have videos on everything from "The First 30 Days" to "Cleaning Your Tower."

• University of Florida IFAS - Hydroponics for Kids: Academic yet accessible research on the best crops for school hydroponic systems.

🍎 Farm-to-Fork & Culinary Initiatives

• Action for Healthy Kids: Tips on how to integrate garden produce into the school's wellness policy and meal programs.

• Edible Schoolyard Project: A global network with thousands of shared lessons on cooking with school-grown produce.

• Whole Kids Foundation: Provides resources on garden sustainability and small grants for school food initiatives.

🤝 Building a GROW Community

• Brentwood School District Homepage: (Link placeholder) For district-wide updates on the Project GROW rollout.

• Facebook Groups: Tower Garden for Teachers: A very active community where teachers share photos, troubleshoot issues, and swap seedling tips.

💡 Classroom Activity Idea: The "pH Mystery"

Have students use pH test kits to check the water every Monday. Create a "Green Zone" chart on the wall. If the water is in the "Green Zone" (5.5 - 6.5), the plants are happy! If not, they get to be "Science Detectives" to help balance the nutrients.