As the global population continues to grow, we must find innovative ways to feed an additional 2 billion people by 2050. At the same time, the agriculture workforce is shrinking, and the average age of a farmer today is 66 years old. To address these challenges, Ponix, an innovative AgTech business focused on engineering and education, has launched Ponix EDU to better serve the education space and nurture the next generation of innovators.

STEM Education and AgTech Curriculum Solutions for All Levels of Education

Ponix EDU offers four customizable solutions to meet the specific needs of elementary, middle, high school, and university-level students. Elementary students will learn through the utilization of the Ponix mini, a hydroponic system that grows up to 6 plants a month and provides a great introduction to hydroponics. Middle school students will use the Future Farmer system, which grows up to 96 plants a month and is a great introduction to early STEM education. High school students will work with the Ponix Rack, a system that can grow up to 360 plants per month and offers students a robust STEM garden inside their classroom. College and university students will learn inside the Ponix lab, an advanced hydroponic farming solution that grows 4,100 different plants per month and showcases the power of indoor farming.

Workforce Development and Training with Project Based Learning and Online Curriculum

Each of the Ponix EDU offerings is supported by five core elements to provide high-quality STEM education: faculty training, teacher notes with step-by-step guidelines and activity tips, full lesson plans that include critical thinking questions, objectives, key terms, activities, and resources for going further, quizzes that are aligned with the core lesson plan content, and virtual access to industry experts through a conference or pre-recorded video. These elements will equip educators with the knowledge and tools necessary to train the next generation of AgTech and BioTech leaders and promote workforce development and training for youth.

Partnerships for Youth Development and Sustainability

Ponix has partnered with the University of the District of Columbia and a multi-disciplinary team of experts in AgTech, sustainability, curriculum development, community engagement, and workforce training to support content development activities for non-formal education that fosters and advances technology-savvy minority youth, particularly those in the Washington, DC region. This partnership will ensure that students have the knowledge, skills, tools, and resources necessary to transform the future of agriculture and climate. The resulting content development tools, curricula, and activities will be replicable and transferable nationally to other land-grant universities and HBCUs.

Incorporating AgTech and BioTech into Project-Based Learning

Ponix EDU’s focus on project-based learning and online curriculum offers an exciting possibility for the next generation of innovators. By incorporating AgTech and BioTech into project-based learning, students will not only develop critical STEM skills but also learn about sustainability and the impact of climate change on agriculture. Ponix EDU’s comprehensive and customizable curriculum solutions are poised to make a significant impact on the future of AgTech and STEM education in schools across the country.