Students at Silver Sands School harvested tilapia from their aquaponic greenhouse, preparing for a fundraising fish fry. The event showcases community support for innovative education programs for students with disabilities.
Students at Silver Sands School, a special day school in Fort Walton Beach serving approximately 100 students with disabilities, participated in the school's third annual fishing rodeo this week, harvesting tilapia from the school's aquaponic greenhouse.
The greenhouse, funded by a grant several years ago, is the only aquaponic system in the district. It uses fish waste to nourish plants, creating a sustainable ecosystem that produces faster-growing crops while teaching students valuable life and job skills.
"Our kids are working on life and job skills," said Marian Gilmore, the school's science teacher. "They come in and they check all of our pipes, making sure everything's running, that the hoses are running, that the fish are getting their air in there."
Read more at Get The Coast.