Rotarians Lend A Hand With Canton Elementary Splash Lab

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As one might say, many Rotarian hands make for light Aquaponics work.

That proved to be the case at Canton Elementary School STEM Academy, where three members of the Rotary Club of Canton on Friday, March 13 helped assemble all the stands and supporting structures for the Aquaponics A.G.U.A. (Aquaponics Generates Understanding and Achievement) Lab.

Rotarian Garrett Holcombe arrived with toolbox in hand to help fellow Rotarians Shane Moore and Peter Gleichman help construct the wooden stands for the aquaponics lab.

Funded by a $5,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Canton, the lab will help the elementary school students learn about the symbiotic relationship between animal and plant life. It will also be a way for the students to grow their own vegetables.

RELATED: Rotary Donation Funds ‘Splash Lab’ at Canton Elementary School

The Aquaponics Lab is the brainchild of Canton Elementary School STEM Academy teachers David Cornn and Judy Wright.

When the Rotarians reported to Canton Elementary on Friday, Cornn informed the crew the excitement that the first stage of aquaponics assembly generated at Thursday’s STEM Academy Night ranged from the students and parents to Cherokee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo.

After a weekend of rest, Rotarians returned to Canton Elementary on Monday to prime, paint and stain the lab hardware.

Photo 1: Rotarians Garrett Holcombe (right), Shane Moore (center), and Peter Gleichman (left) show their sense of satisfaction posing among the aquaponics lab fish tanks.

Photo 2: Canton Rotarians Peter Gleichman (back to camera), Garrett Holcombe (right), and Shand Moore (hidden from view) work together to assemble one of the aquaponics lab fish tank stands.

Photo 3: Canton Rotarian Shane Moore provides stability and support while Rotarian Garrett Holcombe drills a support piece into place on a fish tank stand for the aquaponics lab.

Photo 4: Canton Elementary School STEM Academy teacher David Cornn painting stairs to help students stand high enough to reach over the top of the aquaponics lab fish tanks.

Photo 5: Canton Rotarian Mark Moore stained all of these stands in a matter of a few hours.

Photo 6: Canton Elementary School STEM Academy teacher Judy Wright painting the stands for the high intensity lights, to be used in the aquaponics lab, that Rotarians helped build last week.

Credits: Rotary Club of Canton’s Facebook page