Council Member Julie Won (center), with representatives from NY Sun Works and PS/IQ 78Q. Photo: NY Sun Works
Jan. 22, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Long Island City’s PS/IS 78Q has unveiled a new hydroponic classroom farm designed to foster a love of science, gardening and nature among students at the school.
The hydroponic classroom, funded by Council Member Julie Won and installed by non-profit NY Sun Works, aims to bring access to fresh food and draw students more deeply into their STEM curricula as well as build an awareness of the connections between farming and climate change. The classroom farm boasts cutting-edge technology that will allow K-12 students at the school to study sustainability and urban farming.
Parents, teachers and students gathered at PS/IS 78Q, 48-09 Center Blvd, with the council member and representatives from NY Sun Works on Thursday, Jan. 16 for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the launch of the new farm.
The school will receive ongoing professional development training for science educators and weekly visits from a hydroponic specialist to guide teachers in hydroponic systems maintenance, provide planting, harvest, and produce distribution support. The specialist will also help clean, prep, and troubleshoot systems.
Photo: NY Sun Works
Hydroponic farming enables the cultivation of plants in an indoor environment. Rather than from the sun, plants receive energy from LED lighting that is tailored specifically to their energy needs. Instead of using soil, seeds are planted in soil-free growth mediums.
NY Sun Works, which opened its first lab in 2010, has 52 partner schools across Queens, with 28 labs set to be installed at new schools in the borough throughout 2025. The non-profit has more than 350 partner schools across the city and has served more than 140,000 students since installing its first lab 15 years ago. The non-profit said it aims to deliver inquiry-based K-12 science and sustainability education through the lens of urban farming.
Manuel Zamora, executive director of NY Sun Works, said in a statement that the new hydroponic farm at PS/IS 78Q will help provide students with a high-quality science education.
“At NY Sun Works, we are committed to ensuring that every public school child in New York City, no matter where they were born or where they go to school, receives a high-quality science education. Today, we get one lab closer to that goal,” Zamora said in a statement.
Deana Rombone, principal of PS/IS 78Q, said the farm would create opportunities for students at the school.
“Today, as we cut the ribbon, we are not just opening the doors to a new lab. We are unlocking a future full of innovation, learning and opportunity,” Rombone said in a statement.
Won, who allocated $75,000 in capital funding for the project, said the classroom would help students to sustainably grow food in the city.
Photo: NY Sun Works.
“The ongoing climate crisis means that we must continue supporting programs that give students the tools to be sustainable and create young leaders that care about the future of our planet,” Won said in a statement.
Queens Borough President Donovan Richards also welcomed the installation of the farm, stating that the hydroponic classroom will help students learn valuable lessons about bioscience and agriculture, allowing them to improve their overall understanding of the STEM fields.
“As we face climate change and many other serious environmental challenges, it’s never been more important for our students to receive a solid STEM education,” Richards said.
Richards said he is proud to have allocated millions of dollars to build more than two dozen hydroponics labs in schools across Queens since taking office as borough president.
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