Hydroponics, sustainability & food innovation
Growing the future through education and enterprise
London Community Consortium CIC is exploring a hydroponics and controlled-environment growing initiative as an additional CHOICES innovation pathway.
Hydroponics introduces young people to alternative methods of food production, sustainable agriculture and emerging technologies, connecting education, science, technology, food production and enterprise.
Classroom hydroponics kits
We envisage practical classroom kits that let students explore how plants can be grown using water-based growing systems.
- +Sustainable food production
- +Plant science and biology
- +Water conservation
- +Environmental sustainability
- +Food security
- +Technology and innovation
- +Design and engineering
- +Enterprise and commercial food production
The role of 3D printing
Through a potential collaboration with schools, colleges and their Design and Technology students, they could explore designing and producing components for classroom hydroponics systems using 3D printing. This could build:
- +Product design skills
- +Engineering awareness
- +Prototyping
- +Problem-solving
- +Technical creativity
- +Enterprise thinking
Potential partnership ecosystem
The proposed model could bring together:
London Community Consortium CIC
Programme development, coordination and community enterprise.
Schools, colleges and Design and Technology students
Education, design, technology and student participation.
Technology and growing specialists
Technical expertise, equipment and growing systems.
Young people
Design, innovation, learning and enterprise participation.
This is a proposed future development strand. Progression would depend on securing a suitable growing site, equipment, technical partners, curriculum alignment, safeguarding arrangements and a commercial feasibility assessment.