Cherisse campbell
Principal, Amana Academy
Fulton County School System
Cherisse Campbell started her career in education through community outreach work as a Chemical Engineer. Her volunteer work with students left her feeling as she could do more, so she left her career to enter a graduate program in education. Mrs. Campbell is committed to teaching students about the relevance of STEM education, and some of her model lessons have been published nationally by Yale University and Expeditionary Learning. Recognizing the potential to extend her reach, Mrs. Campbell has continued to impact students and teachers as a school leader in both traditional and charter schools. As a school leader, her commitment to STEM education is reflected in the award winning and nationally recognized STEM programs that she has established.
Project:
Comparing Aeroponic Gardening and Traditional Gardening to Find Food Solutions for Families in Need
The purpose of this project is to engage students in a real-world, service learning STEM project that will improve student achievement in mathematics. Cherisse's ultimate goal is to create a self-sustaining student-run vegetable stand that funds at-home aeroponic garden towers for local families in need. 2nd grade students will utilize resources in the school's learning garden to compare traditional gardening practices to vertical aeroponic farming, and collect data to determine the differences and similarities with each. Students will learn the science behind vertical aeroponic technology and compare this growing technique with traditional gardening using soil in raised beds. Applying their science and math standards to this hands-on project, students will learn about plant life cycles, and measure crop yields and square footage of the growing space.
Students will grow edible plants from seed and observe the growth of their plants in various growing conditions using time-lapse cameras that they can observe via wireless feed on computers in their classrooms. For the service-learning component of the project, students will then operate a vegetable stand at the school and use the profits to purchase gardening supplies for low-income families that face challenges obtaining consistent healthy food.