The Schurz Food Science Lab is a one-of-a-kind food science program located inside Carl Schurz Public High School. It's a pilot program with a mission to transform a former unused shop space at Schurz High School into an indoor farm and science lab. It's the new era of vocational training translating science, nutrition, and the relationship with the environment into real life skills. This is a pro
gram geared to harvest the NextGen Farmer of our country. The Lab was established and managed by Jaime Guerrero, a local marketing exec / chef / urban farm advocate, and administrator of the lab, Arts Alive Chicago (Cyd Smillie, President), a non-profit providing support, and Carl Schurz High School. What The Program Intends to Solve
• Our nation is in a state of crisis with our traditional agricultural methods and we need to teach news ways to grow our foods.
• We are experiencing severe drought while using 60% of our drinking water for agriculture, yet only 80% of that makes it to the crops
• We've depleted our local, wild seafood sources and need more sustainable methods for raising and harvesting healthy seafood
• We are compounding the negative impact on the environment by transporting our food long distances, wasting up to 40% of it along the way
• Our urban areas, including areas near Schurz High School, are riddled with food deserts with few options for fresh, local food
• Many students have poor diets made up of highly processed foods and are unaware of how their food is made and where it comes from
• Hydroponics (growing crops with a soil-less system) and Aquaponics (growing crops and fish together in a re-circulating system) will be core methods taught, including some progressive soil systems teaching technologies aimed at solving this crisis. A Program Adding Real Value
This is a roll up your sleeves program where kids are accountable for managing a program with real output. Student will learn real life skills while adding more nutritional options to the school cafeteria – literally contribution fresh greens to their school cafeteria at commercial levels - and feeding those in need at the Irving Park Food Pantry. The program in this school will allow students to feed their minds, bodies, and their community. Full Elements Of The Program
The lab will provide students hands-on education & experience, preparing them for growth careers including:
• Sustainable urban farming
• Hydroponics, Aquaculture, Aquaponics, and other model agricultural technologies.
• Food prep, safety, and handling
• Nutrition
• Entrepreneurship, business development, and digital marketing
• Food Science, Engineering, coding, and robotics
Want to find out more? Tour our lab or contact us at [email protected]
