Aug. 6, 2024 — Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and herbs are among the produce Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School students will have a chance to grow from seedlings thanks to a $100k Farm to School grant from the United States Department of Agriculture.
“Kids are actually going to be working with live fish and grow their own vegetables through their own aqua product system,” said the school’s principal, Aaron Lakatos.
Mayport Middle is one of six schools in the state to receive the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant which was created to increase the use of local foods in school meals and improve nutrition security for children.
The funds will provide Mayport Middle with an aquaponics operation system and the ability to train agriscience instructors. Lakatos says he’s most excited about the real-life hands-on experience this will bring to the students.
“So, you’re not just sitting and learning from a textbook or in a classroom,” Lakatos said. “Instead, kids will be hands on working, implementing these concepts, and researching how everything works.”
The grant also enables the school to cultivate partnerships with local nonprofits to distribute food to residents. Lakatos said this will help teach students how to give back to their communities.
“I think that’s eye opening for middle-school age students,” said Lakatos. “Students get to actually go through the entire process of the agriculture producers, and we’ll actually be creating food and taking them out into our local nonprofits to give to residents, bridging the classroom to relevance in real life.”
