Middletown High School North Gets $10K Grant For Its Greenhouse

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Middletown High School North just received a $10,000 grant from Sustainable Jersey for Schools.

Middletown North will spend the grant on its Outdoor Learning Lab, said North principal Patricia Vari-Cartier. This is an indoor/outdoor greenhouse where students grow plants and learn about ecology.

“The Sustainable Jersey for Schools grant will enable Middletown North to install a heat sink within our greenhouse, which will enable us to regulate the temperature during the winter months to extend the growing season," explained Vari-Cartier. "In addition, we will install an aquaponics system by building a large-scale koi pond that will serve as a source of water and nutrients for the plants."

"The water from the koi pond will be circulated through the greenhouse aquaponics system," she continued. "With the heat sink in place, at the end of the local growing season, projects started in the fall can be transferred to the greenhouse for continuation throughout the winter. Similarly, projects intended to be completed in the outdoor garden can be started earlier inside the greenhouse and then moved outside."

Middletown North was one of 26 schools across the state to receive the grant. Schools had to apply for the grants. The Sustainable Jersey for Schools grants are funded by the state teachers' union, the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).

All the grants had to be used for environmental-related projects, such as building aquaponics systems, outdoor classrooms and school waste-reduction programs. Other schools built pollinator and edible gardens, water-bottle refilling stations, or did tree planting, food waste and composting initiatives.

Keyport High School similarly received a $10,000 grant. They will use it build an outdoor learning center that will include a vegetable garden, classroom and greenhouse, in a unique partnership with the Keyport Garden Club.

One of the goals is to create a “farm to table” program with local Keyport restaurants, said Keyport High School.

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