Back row, from left, SRC President & COO Susan Harris, SRC CEO Bill Chapin, Fairyland Assistant Principal Emily Haney, and Principal Jeremy Roerdink. Middle row, from left, Charlotte Myers, Ellison Ball, Carrie Rogers, Canon Brock, and Johnny Sutter. Front row, from left, Torunn Snider, Emmett Mills, Mary Mills (SRC partner and parent), Isaiah Mills, and McKenna Snider.
See Rock City, Inc. is giving $30,000 to the Fairyland Elementary School’s current capital campaign. A $150,000 campaign goal is slated for a new state-of-the-art STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics) Aquaponics floating greenhouse and center on the school’s pond. Fairyland has received $110,000 so far towards their goal.
The Fairyland School Aquaponics Learning Lab is a one-of-a-kind structure to provide students with a facility to innovate and learn about self-sustaining ecosystems. “Students will develop the skills necessary to grow, harvest and sell completely organic fruits, vegetables and fish, and to work to give back to its community though the profits raised,” said Jeremy Roerdink, principal of Fairyland Elementary. “Students will also learn to develop a business plan to not only sell their produce and fish, but also market and brand them with the assistance from our art teacher.”
SRC President and COO Susan Harris noted, “The Aquaponics center planned for Fairyland is a very cool innovative project in education and conservation. SRC, Inc. prides itself on its commitment to innovation and is excited to grow our existing partnership with the school and champion our students to becoming conservation-minded leaders of the future.”
SRC is committed to giving back to the community and as a Tennessee Green Hospitality Certified property, is proud to support conservation, education and innovative projects such as this program, said officials. The company is also a long-standing partner in education for its local elementary school.
“Many of our current partners (employees) are graduates of Fairyland School, as well as parents of past, current and future students,” said SRC CEO Bill Chapin. “Joan and I loved having our children learn and grow in this great environment. The school was built on property donated to Walker County by my great uncle, Garnet Carter, who did so much for Fairyland. SRC continues to follow his example.”
Principal Roerdink said, “We are looking for five businesses to partner with us to be able to make the project a reality for our students in the Lookout Mountain community.” These donations are tax deductible with more info available here: www.crowdrise.com/fairylandschoolsaquaponicslab.