Greenhouse & energy classroom....new learning opportunities
Students and volunteers are building a 32'x36' greenhouse and energy classroom. This innovative, hands-on endeavor is providing exciting learning opportunities for MLHS students. It illustrates ways to put math, physics and science to work into real life practices. When the greenhouse is finished, students will raise plants and vegetables fed by an aquaponic system raising fish. The entire system is heated by geo-thermal, passive solar and biomass. Students will make their own ethanol in the energy classroom.
Thank you to these businesses for supporting our project
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Schmeeckle Foundation--$20,000 Grant
3M Foundation--$22,500 Eco Grant Cargill Cares--$10,000+$5,000 Corporate match pending Minnesota Independent School Forum-$7,500 Chevy Drive for Education Contest-$2,500 Fox Lake Conservation League-$1,000 Anonymous business in Mankato-$1,000 Rich Wolf is our volunteer project coordinator. 3M has offered the volunteer services of two engineers through their Leadership Develoment Program. |
Federated REA-$1,000,
Compeer-$700 Basin Electric power Cooperative-$500 Crystal Valley Coop-$500 Land O’Lakes Foundation-$500 Poet Biorefineries-$250 Crop Production Services-$50 BoeKett Building Supply of Fairmont, St. James Electric and Terra Therm of New Richland have offered an additional $9,739 in corporate underwriting—reducing our expenses. |
Even though the school sits surrounded by corn and soybean fields, our past Science program has been limited by four walls and the lack of revenue. Adding a greenhouse and a shop has been a multi-decade desire of many Martin Luther High School teachers, students and parents. Since 2004 Martin Luther High School has tried to add a greenhouse and shop to our building. Parents, students and donors have requested that more agriculturally driven course offerings be adding to our curriculum. We were given a sizable donation by a retired farmer who designated the gift for this type of project. We wish to honor that initial gift. The Martin Luther High School Board of Directors has authorized the administration to pursue the additional funding to complete the project. Another key factor that is now in place is having teachers with the desire, skills and passion to make this happen. Science teachers Nate Watt and Paul Steinhaus have the "outside the box thinking" needed for this type of innovation. They have spent many hours studying the aquaponic growing systems, visiting other growing systems, collaborating with experts and planning our system to be unique and self-sustaining. It seems that many things are coming together to make this dream become a reality. We believe that this project will allow our students to be creative thinkers via concepts that are new and cutting-edge. The shop area will contain area for experimenting with alternative fuel sources such as alcohol, electricity, bio-mass and bio diesel. Passive solar lighting will be used on both sides of our facility.
Soli deo gloria
groundbreaking and summer
The wet spring and summer rains delayed the entire project. Groundbreaking was held on July 3rd and then we were put on hold again. It will be completed in God's time.
OUR PROGRESS BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER STORM
SEPTEMBER 18 STORM
rebuilding after the storm
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