Pedagogies that include hands-on Garden-Based Learning (GBL) using hydroponic grow systems are an emerging trend in food systems-focused experiential environmental education research. Previous GBL advents that served as inspirations for our research and curriculum include Stacy Pettigrew and Scott Kellogg’s Radix Ecological Sustainability Center in Albany, New York, Alice Waters’ MLK Middle School Edible Schoolyard Project in Berkeley, California, and previous published research by Skidmore College ESS Capstone students. Our mixed-methods research worked to better understand the diversity of outcomes of an original food systems and food justice-based curriculum that incorporated hydroponic systems, with a control and treatment group of 5th-grade students in Saratoga Springs, New York. An original six-lesson experiential EE curriculum was created and taught to treatment group science students over the course of eight weeks. Changes in pro-environmental knowledge and attitudes were measured using a pre-test-post-test design, completed before lessons began, and two weeks after the completion of the curriculum. To better understand meaningful course components, pro-environmental behaviors, and issues awareness, we facilitated two student focus groups, one teacher semi-structured interview, and two semi-structured interviews with treatment group parents. Quantitative results showed that the treatment group’s environmental knowledge scores increased from an average of 17 to 19.7 out of 30 possible points. Using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed this increase to be statistically significant. The control group’s pro-environmental knowledge scores decreased from 11.4 to 11.2 points. Quantitative measurements of Preservation and Utilization preferences using the 2-MEV showed no statistical differences both within and between the control and treatment group. Qualitatively, we found that the curriculum enhanced awareness surrounding environmental and food justice issues, intergenerational learning took place (at times) within the households of treatment group students, and experiential learning that involved hands-on, activity-based lessons growing and eating food using a diversity of grow methods were effective tools for enhanced student engagement and understanding. We note that a food systems and food justice curriculum using hydroponics is an accessible, age-appropriate topic for 5th graders, beneficial for helping children to understand the relationship between food, technology, ecology, human health, and society.
