Michele Morgan, Tom Dembinski, Dan Eberhardt, Deann Kujawski and Darren Griffith

Morgan and her colleagues’ innovative teaching idea, “Arduino Meets Aquaponics,” incorporates technology into an aquaponics system in a format that blends science and technology with culinary arts and special education. Students will build a wireless open source system for an aquaponics program using an arduino platform, a single-board microcontroller, intended to make the application of interactive objects or environments more accessible. A controller will help students track and monitor system conditions, allowing them to receive updates wirelessly. An incorporated web camera will allow students to share the system with students off-site and study time-lapse photography. Students will then collaborate with the Department of Natural Resources to raise and release salmon, and will collaborate with a community college to design a solar power system for a greenhouse that will support year-round worm composting, and explore high-efficiency lighting. Students will also analyze solar data and export production information through a monitoring system. An off-site aquaponics system will be built to share ideas and exchange materials between programs. To bring the experience to life, students will also travel monthly to a non-profit urban farm in Detroit.