Marywood’s Flex Farm hydroponics system is a part of NativityMiguel’s after school program, which teaches the students about environmental sustainability and sparks their interest in science.
“I think it’s important because most of them are interested in science,” says Phoebe Tarta, a Marywood student who volunteers with the program. “And when I was talking to [the students], they did not realize that there was more science than just what a cell is.”
The project started when Marywood received the Hunger-Free+ Campus Grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2024, which brought both the Nutrition and Dietetics and the Environmental Science departments together to initiate the project. The NativityMiguel School of Scranton is located on Marywood’s campus.
The program also helps to supplement fresh food items to Pacer Pantry, such as lettuce and other vegetables.
“This program is an important learning tool for [Marywood] students and NativityMiguel students to be exposed to these technologies and these larger topics relating to environmental justice and environmental sustainability,” says Amy Fotta, director of community service and social justice at Marywood.
Another Marywood student who volunteers with the program, Bailey White, expresses how it can help the environment and mental health within the region.
“Even branching away from environmental science, the more green that we have in cityscapes is better for mental health,” says White. “It makes people want to be outside.”
For more information, refer to Nativity Miguel’s website.
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