Environmental Arts
The Foundation Academy (TFA) has always incurred responsibility for the environment since its inception in 1988. As a Florida Green School Network member, we are pleased that several of our environmental arts programs have been a model for other schools in the state. Our initiatives include energy conservation, whole school recycling, green service learning projects, environmental learning projects, environmental awareness training and development, organically grown classroom gardens, and aquaponic farming.
The green goals of TFA include reducing environmental impact, increasing energy efficiency, maintaining healthy school environments, and educating ourselves and others in environmental awareness and sustainability. With this in mind, our campus was built with environmentally friendly ideas and designs while at the same time reducing energy usage.
We’ve also incorporated organic gardens for our classrooms. Each class is responsible for maintaining a garden, producing food, and regularly donating the produce or incorporating it into a meal. Students value the environmental education that comes with this process. They learn not only to help take care of our planet, but also a life skill in growing their own organically grown food.
During the 2011-2012 academic year, we became the first school in Jacksonville with a working aquaponic farm on campus. Organically grown produce and organically raised fish are a byproduct of the farm where students can elect to assist set-up, maintenance, and production aspects of the farm.
Another student-favorite aspect of our green programming is our 3 R class where they learn to Reclaim, Repurpose, and Reuse everything from broken furniture to artistically printed pizza boxes in finding alternate uses for things others may only consider trash worthy. The efforts of this class support our performing arts programs in prop development and add to our entrepreneurship and logistics programs through the “The Something New” shop that opens key times during the school year for parents, students, and community members.