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Long Beach Public Schools

November 12, 2026

Long Beach Sixth Graders Plant, Grow and Enjoy Fresh Lettuce

Sixth-grade students at Long Beach Middle School with hydroponic growing systems in their classroom.

Sixth-grade students at Long Beach Middle School are taking hands-on learning to new heights with the exciting addition of three hydroponic growing systems in their STEM classrooms.
These innovative systems provide students with the opportunity to explore sustainable food production in a controlled, soil-free growing environment. By combining science, technology, and real-world application, students are discovering how their classroom learning can make a meaningful impact on their school community.

Recently, students harvested lettuce grown right in their classrooms, and the fresh greens were served at lunch. This exciting milestone brought the fruits (and vegetables) of their learning full circle, connecting STEM education with sustainable agriculture and the school cafeteria.

Through this hands-on experience, students are cultivating not only fresh produce, but also a deeper understanding of sustainability, innovation, and the power of learning by doing.
 

A teacher and students proudly hold up fresh vegetables they harvested indoors.   A handwritten sign announces, "Homegrown Romaine + Greenstar Lettuce grown by our own 6th graders. Enjoy!"

A man wearing glasses and a grey polo shirt proudly holds a large bowl filled with a fresh green salad in a commercial kitchen.   A smiling young person stands near a vertical hydroponic garden system indoors.

A smiling young person holds a lunch tray filled with food in a school cafeteria.   Two boys smile as they sort through trays of fresh, leafy green lettuce indoors.

Two boys smile while standing behind tables filled with freshly harvested green leafy vegetables in a classroom.   A person tends to a vertical indoor hydroponic garden, harvesting fresh greens from white towers.