At Malone Middle School, Team Innovate has built an interdisciplinary gardening and growing initiative known as "Going Green," supported through a partnership with The Heart Network's Creating Healthy Schools and Communities (CHSC) program. With funding from the New York State Department of Health, the program has equipped classrooms with hydroponic, aeroponic, aquaponic, and terraponic grow systems, along with raised garden beds, grow lights, fruit trees, and an expanding inventory of seeds and starts.
The initiative weaves food production and environmental sustainability into core subjects so the hands-on work feels like a natural extension of regular classwork. Teachers report meaningful gains in student participation, motivation, behavior, and relationships, with even simple tasks like hauling water or cleaning fish tanks fostering responsibility and deeper academic engagement. The program has also forged community partnerships with organizations such as SUNY Potsdam, the Chateaugay Fish Hatchery, and Franklin County Soil and Water, introducing students to career pathways in agriculture, environmental science, and engineering.
Click here to read more about the people, projects, and impact of Team Innovate's work.