2024 Innovative Practices Conference (IPC)

As a nonprofit organization, we are filling gaps in recycling and reuse in the region and offering lots of reuse items to the community. We also answer a lot of questions about curbside recycling and take all plastics that aren't accepted through curbside programs.

Aiken’s Agriculture Career Tech Pathway features indoor and outdoor learning spaces. As part of the A0 Agribusiness and Production Pathway, students engage in the 3-circle model of Agricultural Education, which includes an interactive classroom, supervised agricultural experiences, and participation in a Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. Indoor facilities include a brewing and roasting space for the Awaken At Aiken Coffee Social Enterprise, an indoor mushroom growing lab, plant grow stands, aeroponic towers, and an egg incubator and brooder. The 61-acre outdoor campus hosts an orchard, pollinator gardens, composting facilities, 35 raised beds, two high tunnels, a greenhouse, and various animals such as chickens, quail, ducks, Guinea fowl, rabbits, alpacas, a Zebu steer, and Nubian goats. Students learn about the farm's history, purpose, and sustainability practices, and can also explore a nearby prairie and forest via a hiking trail.

In an age where technology permeates every aspect of our lives, its influence on education, particularly in the realm of environmental and agricultural studies, cannot be overlooked. From Bytes to Biodiversity: Technology's Role in Environmental Education explores the dynamic relationship between technology and environmental education.

In this presentation, we will explore the future of environmental education through the lens of the ever changing digital landscape. We will look at how agriculture can be studied and used as a teaching tool in the classroom. From virtual field trips that transport students to distant ecosystems to applications that can be used in your own schoolyard we will cover a number of ways in which technology is redefining how we understand and engage with our natural world.

Come learn how to implement OutSCIder Classroom, a video series that teaches science and STEM in the National Parks, in your lessons!

Aiken’s Agriculture Career Tech Pathway features indoor and outdoor learning spaces. As part of the A0 Agribusiness and Production Pathway, students engage in the 3-circle model of Agricultural Education, which includes an interactive classroom, supervised agricultural experiences, and participation in a Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapter. Indoor facilities include a brewing and roasting space for the Awaken At Aiken Coffee Social Enterprise, an indoor mushroom growing lab, plant grow stands, aeroponic towers, and an egg incubator and brooder. The 61-acre outdoor campus hosts an orchard, pollinator gardens, composting facilities, 35 raised beds, two high tunnels, a greenhouse, and various animals such as chickens, quail, ducks, Guinea fowl, rabbits, alpacas, a Zebu steer, and Nubian goats. Students learn about the farm's history, purpose, and sustainability practices, and can also explore a nearby prairie and forest via a hiking trail.

Join us for a transformative conference where educators unite to integrate formal education with the natural world. Through discussions and presentations, we'll explore strategies for outdoor learning, infusing classrooms with nature, and fostering environmental stewardship. Gain insights and inspiration from successful school-nonprofit partnerships, empowering students as holistic learners and Earth stewards. Let's champion a future where education thrives outdoors, shaping empowered generations.

Are you ready to transform your classroom into a dynamic learning environment that nourishes minds, bodies, and imaginations? Our students grow, eat, and love their vegetables en route to spectacular academic performance. Lesson plans use food and plant life cycles to teach multiple subjects, students also learn critical thinking and problem solving as they explore, discover, and create their ecosystem. You’ll also hear directly from a teacher using hydroponics in their program. If you have a school garden, plant tower, hydroponics machine, classroom plants, or want to learn more about them.