As a member of the Kentucky State University (KYSU) State Aquaculture Team, I am tasked with educating stakeholders on the production of fish and plants in enclosed recirculating systems. Work in the combination of aquaculture and hydroponics led me to plan with colleagues Chelsea Walling and Brandon Preece to deliver a virtual workshop that focused on aquaponics applications in educational settings. Presenting live on August 12, recorded versions of our two presentations, and subsequent question and answer segments, are available online. The target audience was primarily educators in elementary, middle and secondary schools, as well others working with after school programs and summer camps. 

During my presentation, I referenced three specific aquaponics applications positioned in my service area. KYSU Cooperative Extension work with the Russellville Urban Garden led to a meeting with teachers and administration of the city school district. I worked with Russellville Independent High School Biology and Art teachers to construct a nearly 800-gallon recirculating aquaponics system from discarded university research parts. Since inception, the school has implemented a standalone aquaculture course and pilot tested KYSU generated aquaponics curriculum now made available to teachers around the state. Russellville High's program is exemplary of what can be done with vision and a shoestring budget without an Agriculture Education Department. The second site in LaRue County has a traditional Ag-Ed Department in which I, as a teacher there many years ago, was an early adopter of aquaculture curriculum. During a recent tour of a new state of the art LaRue County High facility, the vision for utilizing the new greenhouse, laboratory, processing room and classroom areas was shared. The third application is in the early phases of implementation. Breckinridge County, home of the Kentucky FFA Leadership Training Center, will serve as a demonstration site for multiple aquaponics systems, and food items produced will be served on the salad bar that has become a staple in the lunch and evening meals for overnight campers. These campers come from a diverse group of youth organizations representing the Career and Technical Education cluster. Additionally, as principle investigator of this grant funded project, I am in talks with the camp director to develop and offer a special interest class on food security that integrates local sustainable production techniques, including the farm to cafeteria production model. 

Response to the virtual workshop was immediate. Within hours of the live stream, I received contacts from three educators seeking my assistance. Coincidentally, they represented three distinct educational entities. One was a middle school teacher in Todd County that is implementing Agriculture curriculum for the first time with an emphasis on the study of aquaponics. The second, a high school Ag-Ed teacher from Grayson County, seeks to learn more about the science of aquacultures and wishes to explore the farm to cafeteria model. The third directs educational opportunities for urban youth in an after school and summer program in Fayette County. I have corresponded with all three since the session and recently received approval to assist the Todd and Grayson county teachers devise their curriculum and provide technical expertise on the science and mechanics of recirculating systems. I will provide consultation to the Fayette County stakeholder and refer him to campus-based colleagues for direct assistance. Within four days of the live stream, 284 individuals had viewed the Aquaponics in the Classroom workshop. Emphasis on innovative sustainable local food production through the teaching of sound scientific principles fits the KYSU Cooperative Extension mission to strengthen underserved communities, families, farmers, individuals and youth to improve their quality of life with state-of-the-art, research-based educational programs.