LEARNING ABOUT NATURE —Fourth-graders Matilda Gray, left, Ella King, center, and Andrea Crawford prepare to work in the McKinley ag lab. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — The McKinley STEM Academy is planting seeds of knowledge through its new agriculture lab.

Headed by teacher Heather Ramsey, the lab engages students in grades PreK-4 by giving them a chance to get their hands dirty as they immerse themselves in lessons about the natural world. The purpose is to cultivate minds and experiences by blending science, technology, engineering and math with agricultural education.

Officials said the lab bridges the gap between classroom theory and practical application, moving beyond traditional gardening to include hydroponics, aquaponics and food science experiments. Students will engage in inquiry-based labs, investigate the life cycle of plants, and use technology to monitor growth conditions.

Ramsey explained that students hone their skills in the classroom as well as the greenhouse that has been long established on the campus.

“We have the greenhouse and wanted to work on projects to fill it,” she said. “In the ag lab, we will be learning about the planting process, then go to the greenhouse lab where we’ll do hands-on growing. The ag lab has an agricultural focus, and the schools are putting more emphasis into its teaching.”

Students spend 45 minutes each week learning in the lab before working further on their lessons outside. Each grade level will complete different projects that will be grown inside the greenhouse. For example, first-graders will plant “magic” beans, ala “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and monitor the growth process by measuring plants and collecting data. The fourth grade will plant soybeans, which ties into their science lesson, and track their growth. Another project is the recreation of a “bug hotel” to help insects that help the environment.

“We have researched what we need to make one and I sent a list home to parents,” Ramsey added, saying classes were seeking paper towel rolls, pine cones, cans, and straws, among other items.

“We’ll work on putting that together behind the greenhouse. The whole school is working on it and it was a student-led interest.”

She said the intent of the lab is to drive the students’ interest, especially since many of them have not been exposed to an agricultural environment but are intrigued by the process. They will learn to care for animals and understand insects that are helpful and invasive. Future goals are to conduct more farm-to-table projects where pupils can actually enjoy the fruits — and vegetables — of their labor.

“Our hope would be to have raised beds where we’d grow our own seeds to harvest and eat. We want to come full circle with it,” Ramsey noted. “It’s the ability to go outside and learn and be in nature and they are loving it. I’m excited for the possibilities to come, and the possibilities are endless.”

Principal Lynnett Gorman said the lab provides students with hands-on learning that boosts academic performance, improves nutrition, and fosters social-emotional growth.

“By tending to a garden or engaging with farm-to-table projects, children develop an understanding of agriculture’s role in their daily lives,” said Gorman. “It’s one thing to read about photosynthesis in a textbook, but it’s another to see it in action.”

Officials added that the lab enhances McKinley’s STEM programming and will create a new generation of informed and environmentally conscious citizens.