TFFJ Helps Students Continue Hydroponic Farming and Food Justice Education at Home During the Pandemic

May 19, 2021

By: Matthew Horgan

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, TFFJ has distributed more than 450 at-home hydroponic growing kits to our curricular day and after-school Food Justice Collective students, enabling them to construct small hydroponic systems that grow microgreens and lettuce in their homes. In this way, students who would otherwise engage with TFFJ’s school-based hydroponic farms can still receive a hands-on learning experience, connect the growing of food to food justice, and share what they learn with their families.

“During these times, we have been successful at capturing the kid’s interest in our hands-on growing programs. Some teachers have even experienced kids turning on their cameras for the first time during the online home growing kit lessons,” said Matthew Horgan, TFFJ’s STEM Programming & School Partnership Manager.

Click here for Matthew’s instructions for how to build your own at-home hydroponics kit as well as his questions to help students share what they learn from their growing experience with their families.

Matthew Horgan is the STEM Programming & School Partnership Manager at Teens for Food Justice.

More Reading

Meg smiling behind a hydroponic system

TFFJ Spotlight: Meghan Groome, PhD, TFFJ’s New CEO

A Mission That Hits Home |

For Meghan Groome, stepping into the role of CEO at Teens for Food Justice is more than a career milestone—it’s part of a deeply personal lifelong journey. Growing up as someone who experienced food insecurity has guided a lifelong commitment to food justice, and, in what might be unexpected ways, even shaped her leadership philosophy. Her lived experience is part of what drives her to prioritize dignity, inclusion, and belonging in her decision-making– because she understands the importance of young people and families having agency, access, and a voice in shaping their own food systems.

Read More »

Dreamy Green Pasta

Dreamy Green Pasta As part of their summer with Teens for Food Justice, SYEP and Futures & Options interns at MLK Jr. Campus turned farm-grown

Read More »

Building a Healthier Future Together: Far Rockaway Food Systems Networking Breakfast

Building a Healthier Future Together: Far Rockaway Food Systems Networking Breakfast

Teens for Food Justice (TFFJ) hosted the first Far Rockaway Food Systems Networking Breakfast inside the Far Rockaway Educational Campus’ in-school hydroponic farm—bringing together educators, healthcare providers, community partners, and elected officials to imagine a stronger, healthier local food system.

Read More »

Subscribe to our Newsletter

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

DONATE