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Aeroponic Towers To Be Placed in Columbia Public Schools

Columbia Public Schools

Coming in October, aeroponic towers will be placed in every elementary school in the Columbia Public School system.

  The towers hold 20 plants, each whose roots hang loosely in the air. Every 15 minutes, water is pumped up the tower from a reservoir at the bottom, and then drizzles onto the plants, eliminating the need to use soil.

Aeroponic systems use less water and some plants grow larger than in a conventional garden growing. The non-profit Columbia Public Schools Foundation approved the nearly 20 thousand dollar grant to pay for these plants.

CPS science director Mike Szydlowski came up with the idea to try to keep kids interested during school.

Szydlowski says students will be able to start manipulating and changing variables that affect the growth of the plants for research projects. There will also be contests held between different CPS elementary schools.

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