Clark Street Community School students are making a meaningful impact beyond the classroom by growing and donating fresh produce to support local families experiencing food insecurity. Through the school’s Garden Lab seminar, students cultivated nearly 15 pounds of fresh lettuce, kale, and basil, which they donated to Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens (MAFPG) on May 21, to distribute to families in need.
The Garden Lab seminar, led by teacher Ross Cohen, gives students the opportunity to engage in project-based learning centered around agriculture, sustainability, and environmental science.
“Students are not just completing assignments. They are solving problems, building systems, growing food, and contributing to something bigger than themselves,” Cohen said. “It has also been exciting to see students who may not always thrive in traditional classroom settings become highly engaged through hands-on work, teamwork, and authentic responsibilities.”
Students work in teams on projects including restoring a hoop house funded through a grant from the MCPASD Education Foundation, operating hydroponic grow towers, starting seeds under grow lights, and propagating houseplants for a plant sale.Throughout the course, students research, plan, problem-solve, collect data, and reflect on their work through presentations and discussions.
The hydroponic grow towers were funded through partnerships with Thermo Fisher Scientific, Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin (CAC), Fork Farms, Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens, and the MCPASD Education Foundation. Clark Street Community School received two hydroponic Flex Farm systems during the 2024-25 school year.
“At Thermo Fisher Scientific, part of our mission is to help advance STEM education and health equity in our local communities,” said Chris Zais, senior group leader of Biopharmaceuticals in the Clinical Research Group. “The donation of the vertical gardens has enabled students to use hands-on tools to learn about climate-smart agriculture and sustainable food production, along with empowering them to be farmers and future leaders who can act on various causes that mean the most in their communities.”
The towers allow students to grow fresh produce year-round while learning science and engineering concepts through hands-on experiences. Students grew lettuce, kale, and basil this year, donating 14.77 pounds of produce, nearly double last year’s 7.5-pound donation total.
The produce will be distributed through Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens, which works to increase access to nutritious, culturally meaningful produce throughout Dane County. In 2025, MAFPG distributed more than 158,000 pounds of produce to nearly 40 organizations, including local food pantries, community meal programs, and backpack food programs.
“Partnerships like the one between MAFPG and Clark Street have facilitated a new pathway to meet this increased demand, giving more pantry shoppers access to the nutritious fruits and vegetables they desire,” said Matt Lechmaier, Partnerships Manager for MAFPG.
Lechmaier added that partnerships with schools help provide fresh produce to the community and create meaningful learning opportunities for students.
“The impact of a partnership can't be measured solely by the pounds of food produced,” Lechmaier said. “Students learn science concepts and may develop a sense of empowerment, teachers have a new teaching tool, we can offer more produce to pantry partners, and someone receives fresh, healthy food as a result of this partnership.”
Brian Arndt, board president of Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens and an MCPASD parent, said the collaboration highlights the power of schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations working together toward a common goal.
“As a MCPASD parent myself and family medicine physician passionate about supporting a vision of a nourished Dane County where everyone has equitable and abundant access to highly desirable produce, it's been great to play a small part in this collaboration between local businesses, schools, and non-profit organizations coming together to help make this vision a reality,” Arndt said.
For Clark Street Community School students, the project demonstrates how classroom learning can directly benefit the broader community. By growing and donating fresh produce, students are helping support neighbors, classmates, and families throughout Dane County while gaining valuable real-world skills along the way. The project also reflects MCPASD’s ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship, sustainability, and hands-on learning opportunities for students. Learn more about the District’s sustainability efforts on the MCPASD Sustainability webpage.