Mantua – “This is a big day,” shared American Experience Academy teacher Angus McDougell at the recent groundbreaking ceremony on the site of the soon-to-be-built aquaponics greenhouse at the Crestwood High School campus. “It’s been five years in the making.”
As administrators and school board members looked on, current students donned hard hats and safety vests, posed in front of the Eclipse Companie’s equipment at the site where the greenhouse will soon reside. Several former students returned home from college or took time away from jobs to attend the early morning event on the chilly Friday morning.
According to CHS Principal Dave McMahon, the greenhouse materials have been received by the district and are ready to be assembled as soon as site work is completed. Once the ground had been leveled, cement work will begin. According to Academy Environmental Science teacher Andy Brown, while students are not allowed to participate in the construction process, they have been able to ask questions and learn about the process from Eclipse Companies, who will erect the structure. “Once it’s safe to occupy, we’ll get to work setting up systems and planting seeds.” According to McMahon, if everything goes smoothly, the structure will be ready by Thanksgiving.
Full of gratitude for the lessons and skills earned through the Academy program, several former students returned to celebrate this momentous occasion.
“We tell students that if we’re successful with our jobs, we’ll never see them again,” he joked, “but it’s great to have them return.” According to Brown, “It’s the best part.” One returning student was 2017 graduate Catherine Harbaugh. As a part of the Academy program, she and fellow teammates earned Crestwood first place in the Ohio Enviro-thon and earned a top 10 spot nationally. This was the first time that Crestwood High School earned this honor.
According to Brown, the class studied science-based conservation efforts and was intrigued by the development of hydroponics greenhouses. “We were spit-balling ideas of impactful projects,” he noted, “ and determined it was a plausible thing.” So the class got to work writing grants to help make it a reality. Another former student, Clay Reid returned to see the fruits of his and his classmates’ efforts realized. He was among the class in 2014-2015 that dreamed up the idea to build an aquaponics greenhouse.
Fellow graduate Mike Snodgrass added, “It’s a big deal. I’ve been waiting for this to happen for four or five years.” Fellow Alumni Matt Thompson concurred. He worked on the grant during his senior year. “Being able to see it come together is amazing,” he added. “I didn’t think it was going to happen for the longest time,” he added. 2016 graduate Bradley Woodrum shared, “It’s been a long time waiting — I can’t wait to see the finished project.”
“All my classmates worked so hard,” Gabi Campana, a 2017 graduate shared. “This class had the biggest impact on me. The bonds we made, and the teachers who supported us. We all use it in our daily lives.” Campana concluded, “This is huge, tangible evidence of what we can accomplish, and that we’re worth supporting,”
Emily Walker, one of the original State Farm grant writers, noted how so much of her high school life was dedicated to the Academy class. ”We spent so many hours writing and researching,” she explained, “to receive the grant was the coolest.” She noted that the class included, “rigorous coursework that was demanding, but with a purpose.” She noted that her experience in Academy, “helped in dealing with college, life, and accountability,” propelling her and her fellow students, “heads above the rest.”
Both Brown and McDougall agreed that their students, both former and current, are “most deserving” to see this project come to fruition.
