Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNLLe Jardin Academy unveils new tool for hands-on learning

Le Jardin Academy unveils new tool for hands-on learning

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By: Denise Yuki

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Le Jardin Academy's first grade students got their hands dirty for the sake of education and sustainability Friday, during the grand opening of its Aqua-Hydroponic Center.

The center features a co-dependent ecosystem that includes tilapia, crayfish and taro, whose roots the crayfish feed on. It will function to serve many purposes throughout the school, from science lessons to nourishment (the fish and some of the vegetation will be incorporated into some of the school's lunches).  

"What they (the students) gain is an insight as to how you can create a real sort of self-sustaining unit. Something that really takes advantage of each component to sustain the other," said Headmaster Adrian Allan.  "I think if we can instill that in them, we've come a long way in helping them to create a more sustainable world."

"The classroom is essential, but outside they can have a more organic learning experience, along with the structure of the classroom," said music teacher and the center's cultivator, Micah Hirokawa.

School officials say that the center was built to not only educate young minds, but to also perpetuate the spirit of lifelong learning.

Copyright 2012 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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