Partner Spotlight: NY Sun Works
This month, we are spotlighting one of our nonprofit partners, NY Sun Works, which currently reaches 120,000 K-12 students annually through its state-of-the-art hydroponic farming technology.
At Runway Green’s Floyd Bennett Field campus, NY Sun Works will bring a hydroponic farming lab for students to gain hands-on learning experiences.We checked in with the organization’s Executive Director Manuela Zamora to hear more about her vision and the importance of hands-on learning. Here’s what she shared.
Q. What inspires you the most about bringing New York Sun Works’ programming to the future Runway Green campus?
A. The grand vision of Runway Green is truly inspirational and, as an organization dedicated to bring sustainability and climate education into the classroom, NY Sun Works is excited to have
our program be part of it. It is thrilling to think that the next visionary development project in New
York City could be aimed at STUDENTS and we are eager to work with Launch and their other
non-profit partners to bring it to fruition. This is a wonderful opportunity to expose not only the student population of Launch, but also thousands of other students who will come to the space, to STEM through hydroponic farming. NY Sun Works is focused on bringing hands-on hydroponic programming to every single public school student in the city and Runway Green will certainly help propel us forward in that goal.
Q. New York Sun Works is bringing sustainability science and climate education into K-12 classrooms—or, perhaps, better put: the classroom is being reinvented altogether through hands-on learning to allow students to learn core science content while they’re also growing food! Why are hands-on experiences integral to students’ growth and learning?
A. We know that the majority of students learn best through hands-on experiences. This has been demonstrated through research studies showing that hands-on, project-based learning results in higher test scores. But beyond test scores, hands-on learning engages students across learning styles and needs. Students don’t fit a single mold and more traditional approaches to learning can suit some students but be quite challenging to others.
Hands-on, project-based learning encourages inquiry, teamwork, and investigation. Add the joy that comes from nurturing a living thing and growing food and the classroom becomes a place where students can build confidence in themselves and their abilities. The hands-on component in our Hydroponic Classrooms is guided by and integrated into our comprehensive standards-aligned K-12 curriculum.
Q. If you could describe what Runway Green and this partnership will bring to New Yorkers in three words, what would they be?
A. Science, Climate Education, and Farming. But also Community, Innovation, and Collaboration.
Q. What is the biggest challenge facing schools in integrating climate education into existing educational models?
A. Climate education is not a requirement in New York State so it often falls through the cracks, despite many teachers saying they want to teach it and students wanting to learn it. In New York State there has been little to no investment in time and resources to prepare teachers to confidently integrate climate education into their classroom teaching. NY Sun Works provides a comprehensive curriculum to our partner teachers, as well as teacher training and ongoing mentoring, to give teachers the resources—and the confidence—to teach about climate in grade-appropriate ways.
Q. Anyone who has grown plants or produce knows the little spark of joy you get when you see a new leaf sprout or vegetable ripen. What’s your favorite crop to grow via hydroponics?
A. It’s very difficult to choose a favorite! In our Hydroponic Classrooms, students grow over 200 types of vegetables, fruits and herbs! In the NFT systems, students grow different varieties of leafy greens such as chard, mustard greens, and tatsoi. In the Vine Crop systems students grow peas, cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, squash, and so much more. Different herbs, edible flowers such as marigold, and even strawberries grow beautifully in the Towers. The smell and the flavor of the basil that we grow are amazing, so if forced, I might choose that as my favorite! But the giant heads of rose and butter lettuce are truly beautiful—and delicious. But when students with limited access to fresh produce in their neighborhoods tell me that Swiss Chard that they have grown right in their classroom is their favorite food—that feels like a moment of transformation!
Q. What is one job in the climate and sustainability sectors that you want more young people to know about?
A. It’s not only one job students should learn about—in fact, it’s the opposite. Through our programs, students learn that in the future almost all jobs will be climate-related in some form and that there are nearly limitless opportunities available.
Manuela Zamora is the Executive Director of NY Sun Works. Raised in Bolivia, Manuela began her career as the Director of Logistics and Special Events on Sustainable Development in the Office of the First Lady of Bolivia before earning her Master’s in Education from Cambridge College in 2001. In 2008, she co-founded NY Sun Works’ Hydroponic Classrooms Initiative, where she has served as the organization’s Executive Director for over a decade, steering its mission to transform New York’s educational landscape through a pioneering approach to sustainability science and climate education.