St. Hilda’s & Saint Hugh’s is an independent, Episcopal school in New York City that is
devoted to changing the world one child at a time. Children enjoy organic milk and pesticide
free fruit. Food is purchased from local vendors so as not to contribute to the
environmental impact of shipping food across country. Solar-powered sensor-activated
hand washing sinks are available alongside the waterless urinals and dual flush toilets. Their
2.5 million dollar renovation utilized recycled, natural, non-toxic, and renewable materials.
And the most recent edition- led grow lights. These changes and more have made them one
of the first schools in New York City to reduce their annual electricity related carbon
emissions by 100%, saving the city approximately 376 tons of emissions per year. St.
Hilda’s & Saint Hugh’s is not stopping there.
In the past, school greenhouses have been limited to operation in the spring and fall
simply because many areas in the United States do not have a natural photoperiod that will
support growth year round. Safety issues prevented the use of traditional greenhouse
lighting as a supplement. As a general rule of thumb- schools do not mix children and hot,
fragile, high voltage devices that contain lead and mercury.
The safety and efficiency of LED Grow Master lighting has made it the perfect choice
for St. Hilda’s & St. Hughs to extend the photoperiod for year round gardening. Toddlers
through eighth graders will soon be enjoying their own greenhouse located on the rooftop
high above the busy streets below. Scheduled for completion later this month, the
greenhouse will be an extension of their science curriculum. Cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts,
and other fruits and vegetables will be grown by the children and then made available in the
cafeteria’s salad bar. Providing the students with hands-on experience of how their food
comes to the table, as well as the satisfaction and delight that come from eating the fruits of
their labor.-AL