Trent Van Leuven
2017
Mackay, ID
Mackay High School
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Van Leuven’s innovative teaching idea, “Fish Farm and Food Issues,” focuses on creating a curriculum which educates students about modern plant science, aquaponics, and agriculture in third world countries. The Voya grant will enable the school to construct a new facility to be used for raising cold water fish, which can then be converted into a greenhouse that may be used for the study of wildlife and tropical plants. Van Leuven believes that through the study of marine biology and ecology, students can develop their understanding of modern agricultural systems and the ways by which modern plant science can be utilized to aid agricultural crises across the globe.