Anna Spittler, Jann Knappage, James Crace, Jerry Griffith, Diantha Daniels

The team’s innovative teaching idea, “Inch by Inch,” is focused on integrating lessons from the garden into each core academic class to foster a hands-on learning environment for at-risk youth in the Appalachian region of eastern Kentucky. One goal will be to create a student entrepreneurial opportunity by teaching them to grow ingredients for two signature hot sauces to sell at the county farmer's market along with other crops grown at the school. Students also will build an innovative, closed system chicken coop in wood shop classes, enhancing engineering and woodworking skills. The closed system chicken coop will allow for the collection of chicken manure for a new compost system. As the students maintain the garden, chicken coop and compost system, they will learn about biodynamic agriculture and push “Inch by Inch” even further in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.