Partnership with Kentucky State, Fayette County Public Schools, and Farm Credit Mid-America creates hands-on learning space and strengthens pathway into agriculture

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A question from a middle school student has grown into a new learning space with deep roots in partnership, agricultural education, and community impact.

On April 2, Fayette County Public Schools, Kentucky State University, and Farm Credit Mid-America celebrated the opening of a new greenhouse and land lab at Tates Creek Middle School — a project that began with a simple idea from student Avery Adams: “Can we get some gardens? Like a greenhouse?”

Adams, now a sophomore at Tates Creek High and Locust Trace AgriScience Center, returned for the ribbon cutting to see that idea fully realized.

The event program included remarks from Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Demetrus Liggins, Kentucky State University President Dr. Koffi C. Akakpo, Dr. Marcus Bernard, dean of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and director of the Land Grant Program at Kentucky State, Council Member Amy Beasley, Farm Credit Mid-America Senior Vice President Mark Barker, and Ron Chi, chief innovation officer for Fayette County Public Schools, with Eli Parham leading the community acknowledgement and ribbon cutting.

After the ribbon cutting, current Tates Creek Middle School students led demonstrations showcasing the work already in action across the greenhouse and land lab, from hydroponics and aquaponics to other hands-on elements of the program.

The new greenhouse and land lab will expand hands-on learning opportunities for Tates Creek Middle School students in plant science, agriscience, and food production. Students will explore growing methods such as hydroponics, aeroponics, and aquaponics, while also gaining exposure to post-harvest food safety, food sales, and farm financial management.

“This was about creating a space where learning feels real,” said Eli Parham, agriscience teacher at Tates Creek Middle School. “This space represents access and opportunity. And it’s all driven by curiosity and student leaders.”

For Kentucky State, the project reflects the University’s land-grant mission in action — connecting students with applied learning, strengthening agricultural pathways, and extending knowledge beyond the campus to serve the broader community.

As Kentucky State President Dr. Koffi C. Akakpo said at the project’s groundbreaking, “This collaboration was truly led by the community, for the community, to enhance learning opportunities to students.”

He added, “The Outdoor Classroom poses an exciting opportunity for students from Tates Creek Middle School to learn the best agricultural practices both in theory and through hands-on practice led by our distinguished Kentucky State University faculty.”

The partnership also helped turn vision into reality. After the idea took root at Tates Creek Middle School, Kentucky State helped connect the project with Farm Credit Mid-America, whose support helped fund the greenhouse and surrounding land lab. The result is an outdoor classroom designed not only for instruction, but for discovery, mentorship, and long-term student growth.

Dr. Marcus Bernard, dean of the College of Agriculture, Health, and Natural Resources and director of the Land Grant Program at Kentucky State, said the project shows what is possible when strong partners and motivated students come together.

“It is awesome when good intentions have great outcomes. This is the perfect example where we have partners who are excited to come together and work together, and students who are truly interested and invested in the project,” Dr. Bernard said.

“In this greenhouse we’re bringing aquaculture systems, hydroponic systems and traditional growing systems together to give students an array of opportunities to learn.”

The greenhouse will support Tates Creek Middle School’s growing farm-to-fork efforts and create new opportunities for students to engage in gardening, floral production, and agriscience research. It also will help connect young people to the broader possibilities within agriculture — from science and sustainability to food systems and workforce pathways.

That longer view matters.

For high school sophomore Adams, the greenhouse is no longer just a middle school memory. He reflects the kind of talent pipeline Kentucky State is helping cultivate — one that begins with curiosity, grows through hands-on learning, and continues through agricultural education, leadership development, and real-world experience.

The project also carries a strong community dimension. In addition to serving students, the greenhouse and land lab are expected to support neighborhood access to healthy, locally grown food and create opportunities for community education around agriculture and nutrition.

Tates Creek FFA Ambassador Ajong Kemcha, who spoke during the event, underscored that potential: “This is another thing Tates Creek can add to its list of achievements. This can elevate us.”

What began as one student’s question is now a living classroom — and a powerful example of what can happen when schools, community partners, and Kentucky State come together to invest in the next generation.