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This teacher needs your help!

Mr. Swanson from Minnetonka, MN is requesting supplies through DonorsChoose, the most trusted classroom funding site for teachers.

See what Mr. Swanson is requesting

Aquaponics & ZipTowers for Healthy Eating

My students need these zipgrow towers to grow their produce for their lunches.

  • $340 goal

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Hooray! This project is fully funded

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mr. Swanson for his next project!

Help Mr. Swanson

Keep the momentum going! Make a donation to Mr. Swanson for his next project!

My Students

A typical day for my students consists of pushing them to connect what they are learning to the real world around them. My student benefit from not just learning academics, but also how to apply their knowledge.

My school is a Setting IV high school for extremely at-risk students.

Setting IV means 100% of our students receive special education services. They come from many different districts in the West Metro for the Twin Cities. About 90% of our students are of color with about 80% of students on free and reduced priced lunch. There are 4 different programs in the building ranging from severely cognitive/physically disabled students to students with Emotional Behavior Disorders to Drug and Alcohol treatment programs. With traditional education failing my students they have strived for an environment to call their own. Naturally my school and it's hands on approach suits them perfectly. Creativity and out of the box thinking are natural traits among my students. They have developed these great skills as a need to survive in their world. The educators at my school pride themselves with finding applicable learning for our students.

My Project

With the zipgrow towers, students will be able to build their own aquaponic system to supplement their school lunches with salad greens year round. Aquaponics is a closed-looped system of hydroponics (growing plants out of soil) and aquaculture (cultivating fish). Students will be able to design a frame/setup for their system in the Woods classroom. From here our science teacher will help to teach about the nitrogen cycle. Our social studies teacher can then help to incorporate the economics of industrialized agriculture and local community gardening. We will also connect with our maintenance specialists looking to repurpose old materials such as fluorescent lights as grow lights. Lastly our culinary program and food personnel will be able to team up and use the Tilapia and continual salad greens to supplement our students minimal school breakfasts/lunches with healthy nutritious food grown indoors during the cold Minnesota winters.

My students come from a very urban setting.

This means most of them are extremely disconnected from the source of their food. By having students grow their own meals in their classroom, students will begin to see the bigger picture of where their food comes from and what goes into unprocessed healthy foods. Students will also benefit from the sustainability in repurposing old materials as well as how to economically grow their own food.

Mr. Swanson West Education Center Grades 9-12

Equity Focus

At this school, more than 50% of students are Black, Latino, and/or Native American, and more than 50% come from low-income households. Learn how your donation to this school supports a more equitable education.

This project will directly impact historically underfunded classrooms.

More about Mr. Swanson

Minnetonka, MN View local requests

More than half of students from low‑income households Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more

200 students impacted 3donors

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Where Your Donation Goes

Where your donation goes
Materials Cost Quantity Total
ZipGrow 5ft. Vertical Growing Tower Pack • Nasco $232.16 1 $232.16

Materials cost

$232.16

Vendor shipping charges

 $23.22

Sales tax

 $0.00

3rd party payment processing fee

$3.48

Fulfillment labor & materials

$30.00

Total project cost

$288.86

Suggested donation to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

$50.98

Total project goal

$339.84

How we calculate what's needed

Total project goal

 $339.84

2 Donors

-$179.92

Donations toward project cost

-$152.93

Donations to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$26.99

match offer

-$159.92

Match offer toward project cost

-$135.93

Match offer to help DonorsChoose reach more classrooms

-$23.99

Still needed View calculationHide calculation

 $0.00

Our team works hard to negotiate the best pricing and selections available.

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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mr. Swanson and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.

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