Alejandro Berenguer

Berenguer’s innovative teaching idea, “Urban Aquaponic Gardens,” is focused on teaching students how to design an environmentally friendly, energy efficient way to grow fresh vegetables and raise fish for protein. This project will combine several science disciplines and allow students to practically apply — in a living laboratory — what they learn inside the classroom. Students will use solar panels to run a pump for circulation and irrigation, and the aquaponic system will provide an interdependent relationship between the fish and young plants. Larger plants will be grown in beds, which are watered by a drip irrigation system from collected rainwater. Worms, ladybugs and other beneficial species will be used to fertilize the beds. Students will learn about the cycle of life, renewable energy, organic farming, and help create a product that could be used in poor areas and other countries to raise healthy food efficiently.