Imhotep Institute Charter School, located at 6201 N 21st St., in the northwest section of the city, will take possession of an innovative and state of the art Hydroponics Farm, a 40 sq ft state of the art Farm in a high tech, environmentally controlled Freight Container. Through Project Nia, Imhotep will address the issues of food deserts and food insecurity in low income communities of color. To address this issue, Project NIA, will establish an innovative vertical hydroponics farm that focuses on environmental sustainability, development of key STEM skills, cultivation of environmental sustainability research.
According to Shirley Posey, Director of STEM, Within a short span of time, Imhotep Charter High School is becoming leaders in STEM education. We are defining our program using African Centered STEM to cultivate innovative thinkers that are changing the world. CEO Andre Noble highlights the importance of the school’s African Centered STEM code of ethics that allows us to solve problems through Heshima, promoting respect for the Earth, restoring the balance that must be maintained to enable human continuity on this planet.
On Wednesday, December 7th, 2022 Imhotep will make history by becoming the first high school in the city of Philadelphia to own and operate a VERTICAL HYDROTECH FARM! It is our hope and aspiration that the farm will not only teach our scholars the skill sets essential to agriculture, but to become researchers in environmental sustainability, entrepreneurs, and continue to be social justice activists.
A dedication ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm EST-1:45 pm EST in the school.Special invited guests, including public officials, leaders in the STEM arena, staff and families are asked to wear shades of green for this inaugural celebration. The Founder and Founding Coalition Members will be on hand to unveil the art work that will be displayed on the Hydroponic Farm that will feature the women of the “Kitchen Table Dream”, who had work to bring the “Miracle on 21st St” to the city in 1998. Imhotep is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a renewed spirit and dedication to its African STEM mission.
The farm is scheduled to arrive around 7:30 AM by crane with a police escort. Media is welcome to join us for our dedication ceremony at 1:00 PM to celebrate this historical event. The school is seeking community and business partnerships to sustain its STEM focus. That will include sending students to Ghana to aid in developing water filtration systems for a school in a village in Ghana. For more information, contact Shirley Posey, Director of STEM Email [email protected]