Raritan High students showcase new horticulture and aquaponics program; district lands $70,000 resiliency grant
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Summary
Students and staff presented the first-year horticulture class, showing microgreens, soil blocks and a 100‑gallon aquaponics unit; the high school also received a $70,000 New Jersey Department of Education climate‑resiliency grant to remove invasive phragmites at Natco Lake and establish native plantings.
Raritan High School students and staff demonstrated the district’s new horticulture elective and described a recently awarded climate-resilience grant during the Hazlet Township Public School District meeting.
Horticulture teacher Mr. Cable told the board that the course, offered for the first time at the high school this year, enrolled about 40 students in its inaugural year and has 82 students signed up for next year. "Horticulture is a plant science course with a focus on hands-on blended learning both in the classroom and outdoors in our garden space," Mr. Cable said.
Students described classroom projects and experiments: senior Jack Slattery explained the microgreens unit and keeping growth logs; Zachary Kokakis described a 100‑gallon aquaponics tank that currently supports 13 tilapia and can grow up to 144 plants per cycle; Madison Hansen discussed soil-block planting; and Riley Grama reviewed outdoor-garden projects that include composting and spring plantings.
The high school reported multiple community-connected activities: produce from class harvests has been donated to the cafeteria and culinary classes; the environmental club organized beach cleanups and a spring plant sale; and the program’s students produced a short video about aquaponics.
Separately, the board heard that Raritan High received a $70,000 climate-resiliency grant from the New Jersey Department of Education to support a curriculum unit and a service project. The funds will help students remove the invasive common reed (phragmites) from a portion of Natco Lake and replant native species to improve biodiversity and shoreline resilience, the district said.
Teacher and staff presenters thanked board members and central-office staff for program support and invited meeting attendees to view student artwork and the horticulture display in the school foyer.
The presentation concluded with recognition of student achievements in related programs; a senior, Patrick Powers, was noted as a winner in the New Jersey Congressional High School Art Competition and advanced for possible selection to represent the state in Washington, D.C.