Science education for and as resiliency through indoor agriculture

Abstract

AbstractThe COVID‐19 pandemic has highlighted the need to adapt to and rebound from unexpected change and uncertainty. The increasing climate chaos of the Anthropocene additionally underscores the necessity of resilient societies and individuals. Individuals able to problem‐solve in emergent situations are integral to a resilient society, and science education can develop these competencies both individually and collectively. We use the concept of resiliency to argue for science education that enables learners to adapt and respond in the face of disruption, unrest, and disaster. We focus specifically on the ways in which learning how to grow plants indoors can develop resilience on multiple levels while authentically facilitating science and engineering principles. This study seeks to explore how indoor agriculture might support science education for resiliency. We examine a higher‐education project, the “Grow Pod,” involving shipping container agriculture with first‐year undergraduates. We argue that inclusion of indoor agriculture within science education has the potential to support both learning for and as resiliency. In our analysis, we note how the Grow Pod project supports a science education for resiliency through collective learning that helps learners understand plant basics and how to grow food, and a science education as resiliency which includes learning through and rebounding from challenges/mistakes, learning resourcefulness, and experiencing restorative benefits of working with plants.