Four South Valley schools will house APS' new environmental STEM program

Mario Morales, a sixth grader at Polk Middle School, has a passion for farming.

Whether it was driving a tractor or helping to mow the lawn, Mario used to help his grandfather around his farm in Liberal, Kansas, where he grew corn, radishes and carrots.

That’s why Mario’s thinking of being a farmer when he’s older. And gardening classes at his school, now buoyed by a new Albuquerque Public Schools environmental STEM program called Sustaining the Future may help him do that.

“This program is important for when … kids want to farm, and we’re wanting it for every single student,” Mario said.

Sustaining the Future has been in the works for years, APS Office of Innovation Executive Director Francesca Ver Ploegh said during a Tuesday news conference at Polk, and is funded by a $12.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The program will be implemented over five years, beginning in the coming school year. It’s going into place in four South Valley schools: Los Padillas Elementary, Mountain View Elementary, Rio Grande High and Polk. Ver Ploegh said it will support some 2,500 students of all grades.

She said the grant will fund professional training for teachers, curricula for students and hands-on equipment and facilities for classes, such as hydroponic and STEM labs.

“This is a choice that’s available for our students who have different areas of interest, (and) want to learn in different ways,” incoming Superintendent Gabriella Blakey said. “And we have a dedicated staff and talented teachers here that are invested in this.”

For many students, the program will help them figure out what they want to do after high school, said Polk garden science teacher Travis McKenzie, whose classes help many students get hands-on experiences in subjects they’re learning about in math, science, English and art class.

“I think middle school could be a place where students are exposed to all the different opportunities, and as they go to high school, start to refine their course and be more into classes that are going to support their career pathway,” he said. “... We really want to show the world to our students.”

As an example, McKenzie pointed to one of his students, seventh grader Abril Carbajal, who said she wants to go into nursing.

“I feel like it’s really important to know healthy foods and all that and agriculture helps you with that, knowing what you can and what you shouldn’t be eating,” Abril said.

Officials also touted the program as one that will encourage students to advance environment and climate science.

“Layering on the agriculture program, and now this new work around climate change … what a wonderful asset for all of the metro area to be able to have a middle school that is focusing on this,” Mayor Tim Keller said during the news conference.