Escuela D4 Arica
A D4 School project together with the University of Tarapacá of Arica CHILE
Electrical Engineering students developed an educational project on hydroponic cultivation of lettuce and tomatoes. It is a crop at altitude (see photos) - To apply it, our D4 School was selected for its outstanding Excellence in Sustainable Development. During this year 2024, a group of 15 students from 10 to 14 years of age with a classroom teacher who coordinates this Project are participating directly daily and in shifts. All participants along with their teacher previously received training on cultivation, care and irrigation.
Irrigation is carried out with a motor inside a small container filled with water that propels the water upward through pipes. The Engineering students created this project by making pipes that they placed in a suitable location with two horizontal rows in height through which the water circulates and the glasses that contain the lettuce and tomato seeds are inserted. These vessels have small holes for the roots to emerge. The students, together with their teacher and an assistant, are taking care of the irrigation checking and the growth of the lettuce.
This process is being visited by teachers and students from the school and has been called GARDEN AT HIGH LEVEL. All the students from the School are observing this type of cultivation and taking care of it. Once the lettuces had grown, they proceeded to cut them carefully so that they would continue to grow and then they shared them by giving lettuce to all the directors and staff as well as to the students of the School (see photos). The same will be done again when new lettuce grows. The tomatoes have not grown yet.
We conclude so far that this Project has allowed the entire educational community to learn to value their own environment by valuing and caring for this Garden and therefore contributes to caring for the environment of their School. Participants Life-Link Coordinator Mrs. Gladys Hernández Parra. Professor Mrs. Daniela Galvez Parra. Principal Ruth Dini V. and Patricio Tavali Director and several people such as assistants.