Radium Springs Middle School art teacher wins grant

ALBANY — The Flint River Soil & Water Conservation District has awarded a Radium Springs Middle School art teacher a $1,000 grant to fund a tower garden project.

Camyljah Giddens, a professional artists and first-year art teacher at RSMS, applied for the grant for the project, which is designed to give students a chance for firsthand experience growing food while exposing them to new technological advancements in agriculture and design.

Educators from Baker, Calhoun, Decatur, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Miller, Mitchell and Seminole counties were eligible to win the Environmental & Agricultural Education Grant. The grant was available to teachers of grades K-12 at any school in those nine Southwest Georgia counties.

“The purpose of the grant is to provide funds for an educator to implement a new lesson or tool in the classroom to teach students about agriculture and/or natural resources,” officials with the Flint River Soil & Water Conservation District said.

A multi-faceted curriculum is being finalized that will instruct students in several areas from engineering and physical science to art and business management.

“Radium Middle Magnet School of the Arts is committed to researching innovative ways to administer quality, progressive education to students,” Giddens said. “With this grant we will incorporate agriculture into all educational departments throughout the school using the aeroponic tower, or Tower Garden invented by Tim Blank.

“The Tower Garden is a cutting edge technology that will allow students to understand the connection of beautiful art and utilitarian function which is the basis of good design.

Giddens said she plans to expand the project into a thriving community garden in Albany through partnerships with local businesses, organizations and farmers. The awarded project is to be implemented by June.